The other day I took a PPL for a club 28 day currency check. The cloud base was reported at 800ft so I suggested we did a couple of bad weather circuits. With ATC approval. we took off and levelled at 500ft. vis circa 3K and cloud base actually 600ft.
What was interesting that the PPL became quite rapidly disorientated by the poximity of cloud and poor vis, and we ended up diving down on finals at 95kts (normal 70kt).
This PPL was reasonably experienced, but had never done a bad weather circuit in "anger" before, and it made me wonder how valuable the simulated precautionary landing lesson is in relation to the real situation. One think we are not short of in the UK is bad weather, perhaps we should use it a bit more constructively?