Soft tyres fitted in heavy rain producing fastest laps?

Just finished a race at the Nurburgring which had light rain or rain all the way through until, with less than 10 laps left, heavy rain started. I was watching in Live Timing view, not 2D view and was confused to see messages that people were pitting and fitting SOFT tyres. My driver then did so all of her own accord and I was very concerned.

Then, in the laps to the end, everyone lowered their fastest laptime by a second or more! Don\'t get it on so many levels.

Same happened in my race (ID 10378). I was in 2D. My weather station facility forecast heavy rain for the last 10 laps. The weather icon stayed on light rain (with the forecast remaining on heavy rain). Everyone not in 2D changed to softs, but I chose to change to full wets. I lost 2nd place due to this.

Well, a forecast is not guaranteed, and the old adage is to be on the right tyres for the moment. However, I do not know whether the weather info shown in the Live Timing view is actual or forecast. I presume it is actual, in which case my original confusion remains - a) why were people (including my automated driver) putting on softs in heavy rain and b) how come they did their fastest race laps in such conditions?

Live Timing and 2D show actual weather. With the weather station facility you can have a 1-5 minute forecast. The 2D showed actual weather as light rain and 3 minute forecast as heavy rain. But everyone not in 2D went onto softs. I was distracted by my nephew or might\'ve changed to softs too (realising that the weather display was bugged).

a) The weather was dry, but mistakenly reported as Heavy Rain. (Or light rain with heavy to come in the 2d)
b) See (a)