When I was a "Runway Controller" at Manch, I counted the [special] lights...from the runway caravan. At Brum, the Fiermen were tasked to do it, from an obsevation post [elev 15ft] alongside the threshold of the active runway [usually 33]
Although these days ATC will often be involved in the derivation of met info at aerodromes, it's not actually an ATC function. Officially all (in almost every situation) ATC does is to pass on met reports that are produced by someone else.
When I last worked in the Tower at Manch, I produced Met reports via the SAMOS system...in real time. In bad wx it really wasa PITA
