"JAHGS" wrote in message
news:HA1qc.30$k75.11@newsfe1-win...

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...

"JAHGS" wrote in message
news:dw1qc.76$Hb6.72@newsfe1-win...
2004/05/17 08:50
EGTC 170850Z 22007KT 5000 HZ NLC 19/13 Q1026

Above Metar is from Cranfield, the only translation for NLC I can
find is
noctilucent cloud, but at 8:50 in the morning, also reported (as
NLC without
the haze) at 9:50 (10:50 BST).

Is it a mistake or does NLC mean something else.

I think it should be NSC for "no significant cloud". I guess NLC
was
meant to mean (if you see what I mean) "no low cloud".

.... whilst we humans can make sense of this ... unfortunately, the
automated VOLMET (and similar) broadcasts will be flummoxed! The
observer at Cranfield may not know that NLC is an abbreviation that is
used in some cases (though not now in main SYNOP coding).

Martin.