Back in the days when I was an ATCO, we had people called Met men and Met women who were trained professionals and they used to do met. observations as part of their daily routine. I'd respectfully suggest to the flying community, ATC management and the regulators that if they want professional met. observations and those vitally important SPECIs that have to be done when the weather makes ATC just a tad more difficult, then they should ask the flying community and ATC management to approach the Met. Office to supply suitably trained personnel and leave ATCOs to do what they are paid to do, which is act on met. advice and provide a safe passage through/around adverse weather.
Asking ATCOs to go out and take weather observations is rather akin to asking met. people to come into the radar room and run a quick sequence.
If you want a professional service you need to pay for it otherwise you will end up with, what appears to be going to be a third rate service that the rest of the world will just sit back and laugh at and decide to fly to safer countries.
How anyone in ATC management could even contemplate ATCOs at busy airports carrying out hourly met. observations and SPECIs and SNOWTAMS beggars belief.
If SRG don't do something about this then they are equally as culpable if and when something happens as a result of an ATCO being outside doing a SPECI or an aircraft crashing as a result of an ATCO not doing a SPECI.
My advice would be to put that question to SRG and leave that safety decision to them. That is, after all what they, as professionals, are paid to do, isn't it?
Meanwhile, you have to question whether the ATC management that are making these blatantly dangerous decisions are fit for purpose. Another question which needs urgent answering by the regulators before any lasting damage is done.
So, if any SRG members or regulators are reading this, now would be a good time to step up to the plate. This isn't about money, this is about the safety of the flying public, of which I am one. And I shall be referring this thread to my MP. I suggest others may like to follow.
On the beach