Your Observation and Report
When taking your 1400Z observations, you see lightning occurring in storms that have developed 4 miles to the northwest of the ship. Do these thunderstorms qualify as significant weather? Choose the best answer.
The correct answer is a).
A significant weather report for a thunderstorm is required if lightning is observed in the immediate vicinity of the ship or if thunder can be heard. In this situation, you will want to pay close attention to wind direction and other atmospheric conditions. If the thunderstorms are likely to move or develop over the ship, you will need to report a special observation, or SPECI, as quickly as possible. Because the rain activity from the storms is reducing visibility below 6 nautical miles away from the ship, you also need to note the cause of the reduction in the Remarks (TS 4NW MOVMT UNKN) and supplemental coded data column.