So the consensus so far is that if it
did look like that you definitely
wouldn't go near it, but in this case it's much more likely a mixture of the photo exposure along with contrast/levels editing in Photoshop afterward?
I've actually studied and passed ATPL Met at 98%, it was the one exam I genuinely studied long and hard as in my mind it is one of the most critical - I would not rest until I understood each subject and I found lots of useful information through Simon Keeling's weather website
Weatherweb TV. But that may be why I'm being extra cautious on the face of it, as opposed to someone that may not fully appreciate the dangers involved.