METAR

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Origination

History

Naming

Information contained in a METAR

Regulation

METAR conventions

International METAR codes

• METAR indicates that the following is a standard hourly observation.
• LBBG is the ICAO airport code
  ICAO airport code
  
  The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and published in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators....
   for Burgas Airport.
• 041600Z indicates the day of the month
  Month
  
  The month is a unit of time, used with calendars, which is approximately as long as some natural Orbital period related to the motion of the Moon; month and Moon are cognates....
   is the 4th and the time
  Time
  
  Time is a component of the measurement used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects....
   of day
  Day
  
  A day is a units of measurement of time equivalent to approximately 24 hours. It is not an International System of Units unit but it is accepted for use with SI....
   is 1600 Zulu time, 4:00PM Greenwich Mean Time
  Greenwich Mean Time
  
  Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to solar time at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich in Greenwich, London. It is regularly used to refer to Coordinated Universal Time when this is viewed as a time zone, especially by bodies connected with the United Kingdom, such as the BBC World Service, the Royal Navy, the Met Office an...
  , or 6:00PM Eastern European Time
  Eastern European Time
  
  Eastern European Time is one of the names of UTC+2 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in some European, North African, and Middle Eastern countries....
  .
• 12003MPS indicates the wind direction
  Direction (geometry, geography)
  
  Direction is the information contained in the relative position of one point with respect to another point without the distance information. Directions may be either Relative direction to some indicated reference , or absolute according to some previously agreed upon frame of reference ....
   is from 120 degree
  Degree (angle)
  
  A degree , usually denoted by ? , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1/360 of a Turn ; one degree is equivalent to p/180 radians....
  s true
  True north
  
  True north is the direction along the earth's surface towards the geographic North Pole.True north usually differs from magnetic north pole and grid north ....
   (east
  East
  
  East is a Direction in geography. It is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points, opposite of west and at right angles to north and south....
  -southeast
  Cardinal direction
  
  The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are north, south, east, and west, commonly denoted by their initials - N, S, E, W. They are mostly used for geography orientation on Earth but may be calculated anywhere on a rotating astronomical object....
  ) at a speed
  Speed
  
  Speed is the rate of Motion , or equivalently the rate of change of distance.Speed is a Scalar quantity with dimensions length/time; the equivalent Vector quantity to speed is velocity....
   of 3 meters per second
  Metre per second
  
  Metre per second is an SI derived unit of both speed and velocity , defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds.This is the main unit of speed....
  .
• 310V290 indicates the wind direction is varying from 310 degrees true (northwest) through 120 degrees true (east-southeast) to 290 degrees true (west-northwest).
• 1400 indicates the prevailing visibility
  Prevailing visibility
  
  Prevailing visibility in aviation is a measurement of the greatest distance visible throughout at least half of the horizon, not necessarily continuously....
   is 1400 metres.
• R04/P1500N indicates the Runway visual range
  Runway visual range
  
  Runway Visual Range is a term used in aviation meteorology to define the distance over which a pilot of an aircraft on the centreline of the runway can see the runway surface markings delineating the runway or identifying its centre line....
   (RVR) along Runway
  Runway
  
  A runway is a strip of land on an airport, on which aircraft can Takeoff and landing. Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface ....
   04 is 1500 meters and not changing significantly.
• R22/P1500U indicates RVR along Runway 22 is 1500 meters and rising.
• +SN indicates snow
  Snow
  
  Snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. The process of this precipitation is called snowfall....
   is falling at a heavy intensity.
• BKN022 indicates a broken cloud layer at 2,200 feet above ground level
  Above ground level
  
  In aviation and atmospheric sciences, an altitude is said to be above ground level when it is measured with respect to the underlying earth's surface....
   (agl). Defines the cloud ceiling
  Ceiling (cloud)
  
  A ceiling or cloud ceiling means the height above the earth's surface of the lowest layer of clouds or obscuring phenomena that is reported as broken, overcast, or obscuration, and not classified as thin or partial....
  .
• OVC050 indicates an unbroken cloud layer (overcast) at 5,000 feet above ground level.
• M04/M07 indicates the temperature is minus 4 degree
  Degree (temperature)
  
  The term degree is used in several scale of temperature. The symbol ? is usually used, followed by the initial letter of the unit, for example ??C? for degree Celsius....
  s Celsius
  Celsius
  
  Celsius is a temperature scale that is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death....
   and the dewpoint is minus 7 degrees Celsius.
• Q1020 indicates the current altimeter setting (QNH) is 1020 millibar
  Bar (unit)
  
  The bar , decibar and the millibar are units of pressure. They are not SI units, nor are they cgs units, but they are accepted for use with the SI....
  s.
• NOSIG is an example of a TREND forecast which is appended to METARs at stations while a forecaster is on watch. NOSIG means that no significant change is expected to the reported conditions within the next 2 hours.
• 9949//91 indicates runway status. Format: abcdefgh ab=runway heading, c=nature of coating (4=dry snow), d=surface covered in percent (9= 51-100% of rwy covered), ef=thickness of coating in millimeters (// stands for either not measurable or not affecting usage of rwy) gh=braking index (91=bad braking index i.e grip on rwy)
• CAVOK abbreviation for Ceiling
  Ceiling (cloud)
  
  A ceiling or cloud ceiling means the height above the earth's surface of the lowest layer of clouds or obscuring phenomena that is reported as broken, overcast, or obscuration, and not classified as thin or partial....
   And Visibility OKay indicating no cloud below 5,000 feet and no cumulonimbus
  Cumulonimbus cloud
  
  Cumulonimbus is a type of cloud that is tall, dense, and involved in thunderstorms and other intense weather. It is a result of atmospheric instability....
   at any level, a visibility of 6 Statute Miles (10 km) or more and no significant weather. As of 5 November 2008 this will be amended to include towering cumulus
  Cumulus castellanus cloud
  
  Cumulus castellanus is a type of cumulus cloud that is distinctive because it displays multiple towers arising from its top, indicating significant vertical air movement....
  
• = indicates the end of the METAR report

United States/Canada METAR codes

• METAR indicates that the following is a standard hourly observation.
• KTTN indicates the report came from Trenton-Mercer Airport
  Trenton-Mercer Airport
  
  Trenton-Mercer Airport , formerly known as Mercer County Airport, is a public airport located in Ewing, New Jersey, four miles northwest of the central business district of Trenton, New Jersey, a city in Mercer County, New Jersey, New Jersey....
  , near the city of Trenton, New Jersey
  Trenton, New Jersey
  
  Trenton is the Capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated that the City of Trenton had a population of 82,804....
   in the continental United States
  United States
  
  The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
  .
• 051853Z indicates the day of the month is the 5th and the time of day is 1853 Zulu time, 6:53PM Greenwich Mean Time, or 1:53PM Eastern Standard Time
  North American Eastern Time Zone
  
  The Eastern Time Zone of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America. Its time offset is -5 hrs GMT or UTC-5 during standard time and UTC-4 during daylight saving time....
  .
• 04011KT indicates the wind direction is from 40 degrees true (northeast) at a speed of 11 knot
  Knot (speed)
  
  The knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour. Its kn abbreviation is preferred by American and Canadian maritime authorities, and by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; however, the kt and kts abbreviations also are used....
  s (approximately 13 statute miles per hour
  Miles per hour
  
  The mile per hour is a physical unit of speed, expressing the number of Mile covered per hour.It is currently the Unit of measurement used for speed limits, and speeds, on roads in the United Kingdom and United States....
  ).
• 1/2SM indicates the prevailing visibility is 0.5 statute miles.
• VCTS indicates there is a thunderstorm
  Thunderstorm
  
  File:FoggDam-NT.jpgA thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its effect: thunder....
   in the vicinity (within 10SM, but beyond 5SM).
• SN indicates snow is falling at a moderate intensity.
• FZFG indicates the presence of freezing fog
  Fog
  
  Fog is a cloud bank that is in contact with the ground. A cloud may be considered partly fog; for example, the part of a cloud that is suspended in the air above the ground is not considered fog, whereas the part of the cloud that comes in contact with higher ground is considered fog....
  .
• BKN003 indicates a broken cloud layer at 300 feet above ground level.
• OVC010 indicates an overcast cloud layer at 1,000 feet above ground level.
• M02/M02 indicates the temperature is minus 2 degrees Celsius and the dewpoint is minus 2 degrees Celsius.
• A3006 indicates the altimeter
  Altimeter
  
  An altimeter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. The measurement of altitude is called altimetry, which is related to the term bathymetry, the measurement of depth underwater....
   setting is 30.06 inches of mercury
  Inch of mercury
  
  Inches of mercury, inHg or "Hg is a measuring unit for pressure. It is still widely used for barometric pressure in weather reports and aviation in the United States, but is considered somewhat outdated elsewhere....
  .

• RMK indicates the remarks section follows.
• AO2 indicates that the station has an automated precipitation sensor
  Sensor
  
  A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument. For example, a mercury thermometer converts the measured temperature into expansion and contraction of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated glass tube....
  .
• TSB40 indicates the thunderstorm began 40 minute
  Minute
  
  A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle.The minute is a Unit of measurement of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the Coordinated Universal Time time scale, a minute occasionally has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second....
  s after the top of the hour at 1840 Zulu time, 6:40PM Greenwich Mean Time, or 1:40PM Eastern Standard Time.
• SLP176 indicates the current barometric pressure extrapolated to sea level is 1017.6 millibars.
• P0002 indicates that 0.02 inches of liquid
  Liquid
  
  Liquid is one of the principal states of matter. A liquid is a fluid that has the particles loose and can freely form a distinct surface at the boundaries of its bulk material....
  -equivalent precipitation accumulated during the last hour.
• T10171017 indicates the temperature is 29 degrees Fahrenheit
  Fahrenheit
  
  Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit , who proposed it in 1724. Today, the scale has largely been replaced by the Celsius scale; it is still in use for non-scientific purposes in the United States and a few other countries such as Belize....
   (converted to minus 1.7 degrees Celsius) and the dewpoint is 29 degrees Fahrenheit (converted to minus 1.7 degrees Celsius).
• = indicates the end of the METAR report.

See also

• Colour State
  Colour state
  
  Colour States are a system used for quickly showing meteorological conditions.Meteorological colour states are determined by the relevant worst condition from the visibility and significant cloud base....
  
• Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF)
  Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
  
  In meteorology and aviation, TAF is a format for reporting weather forecast information, particularly as it relates to aviation. "TAF" is an acronym of Terminal Aerodrome Forecast or, in some countries, Terminal Area Forecast....
  

External links

• - "Meteorological Service For International Air Navigation - Jul 2007" (PDF format see Table A3-2)]
• - Information on METAR and TAF
  Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
  
  In meteorology and aviation, TAF is a format for reporting weather forecast information, particularly as it relates to aviation. "TAF" is an acronym of Terminal Aerodrome Forecast or, in some countries, Terminal Area Forecast....
   reports. Also provides a link to current metar reports and cycle files.

• at the CPAN
  CPAN
  
  CPAN, the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network, is an archive of over 14,800 modules of software written in Perl, as well as documentation for it....
   website
• is a PHP
  PHP
  
  PHP is a scripting language originally designed for producing dynamic web pages. It has evolved to include a command line interface capability and can be used in Standalone software Graphical user interface....
   application (with a GNU GPL licence) that parses METAR reports.
• python library for METAR fetching and parsing

• Use CTRL+F to search for a station. Input 4 letter ICAO identifier to link.
• - web mapping application for cartographical visualization of METARs (with source code)

• searchable by location, can view historical METARs by location.