The TAF Says 'Washed Out'

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 4:05

I arrived back from holiday in Mallorca on Saturday night. Flying into Manchester at around 2200hrs following a blustery and rain soaked approach over the Pennines.

Things didn't look too good for flying on the Sunday morning and my hunch was right. The TAF for Leeds this morning is:

Leeds And Bradford in United Kingdom EGNM 139' W 5352' N Elevation: 682 feet
Updated At : 08:20:00 GMT Standard Time
Temp: 10 C / 50 F Humidity: 100 %
Clouds: Few at 500, Scattered at 1000, Broken at 2000 feet
Visibility: Unlimited
Wind: 17 knots from 250 ( WSW )
Windchill: -2 C / 28 F
Dew point: 10 C / 50 F
Pressure: 1007 hPa
Sunrise: 06:38:00 GMT Standard Time , Sunset: 19:23:00 GMT Standard Time
METAR: EGNM 120720Z 25017KT 220V280 9999 -SHRA FEW005 SCT010 BKN020 10/10 Q1007


Forecast for: EGNM Valid From: 12 / 09 / 2004 ( 12 :00) to the 13 th ( 06 :00)
Overnight Mostly cloudy (Broken at 2200, Broken at 1000 feet) with winds from the WSW at 17 mph gusting to 29 mph.
Morning Fair with winds from the WSW 220-280 at 20 mph.
Afternoon Fair with winds from the WSW 220-280 at 20 mph.
Evening Fair with winds from the WSW 220-280 at 20 mph.
TAF: EGNM 120720Z 25017KT 220V280 9999 -SHRA FEW005 SCT010 BKN020 10/10 Q1007

So no lesson today - this was confirmed by the school shortly after 0900hrs when I called in. At least this time I hadn't got in the car to drive there! What was useful today was the fact that I had decoded the METAR and TAF for the airport and didn't think that we would be going flying. Looks like the reading of those books on the weather is starting to pay off.