- Aviation Briefing Service

METAR decode information

CODE ELEMENT EXAMPLE DECODE

1 Identification

METAR or SPECI METAR METAR

NOTES: METAR - aviation routine report, SPECI - selected special (not from UK civil aerodrome)

Location indicator EGLL London Heathrow

NOTES: Station four-letter indicator

Date/Time 291020Z 'ten twenty Zulu on the 29th'

AUTO A fully automated report with no human intervention

NOTES: AUTO METARS may only be disseminated when an aerodrome is closed or at H24 aerodromes, where the accredited
met. observer is on a CAA approved overnight duty break. Users are reminded that reports of visibility, present weather and
cloud from automated systems should be treated with caution due to the limitations of the sensors themselves and the
spatial area sampled by the sensors.

2 Wind

Wind direction/speed 31015G27KT 'three one zero degrees, fifteen knots, max twenty seven knots'

NOTES: Max only given if >= 10KT greater than the mean. VRB = variable. 00000KT = calm.

Extreme direction variance 280V350 'varying between two eight zero and three five zero degrees'

NOTES: Variation given in clockwise direction, but only when mean speed is greater than 3 KT.

3 Visibility

Prevailing visibility 3200 'three thousand two hundred metres'

NOTES: 0000 = 'less than 50 metres' 9999 = 'ten kilometres or more'. No direction is required.

Minimum visibility (in addition to 1200SW 'Twelve hundred metres to the south-west'
the prevailing visibility if required)

NOTES: The minimum visibility is also included alongside the prevailing visibility when the visibility in one direction, which is
not the prevailing visibility, is less than 1500 metres or less than 50% of the prevailing visibility. A direction is also added as
one of the the eight points of the compass. NDV = no directional variation (AUTO METARS only)

4 RVR

R27R/1100 'RVR, runway two seven right, one thousand one hunded
metres'

NOTES: RVR tendency (U = increasing; D = decreasing; N = no change) may be added after figure (not currently used in the
UK) e.g. R27R/1100D. P1500 = more than 1500 m; M0050 = less than 50 m. Significant variations — example :
R24/0950V1100, i.e. varying between two values. (Not from UK civil aerodromes)

5 Present weather
 +SHRA 'heavy rain showers'

NOTES: + = Heavy (well developed in the case of +FC and +PO); - = Light; no qualifier = Moderate.
BC=Patches BL=Blowing BR=Mist DR=Drifting
DS=Duststorm DU=Dust DZ=Drizzle FC=Funnel cloud
FG=Fog FU=Smoke FZ=Freezing GR=Hail (>5mm)
GS=Small hail or snow pellets HZ=Haze IC=Ice crystals MI=Shallow
PL=Ice pellets PO=Dust devils PR=Banks RA=Rain
SA=Sand SH=Showers SG=Snow grains SN=Snow
SQ=Squalls SS=Sandstorm TS=Thunderstorm VA=Volcanic ash
VC=In vicinity UP=Unidentified precipitation (AUTO METARS only)
Up to three groups may be present, constructed by selecting and combining from the above. Group omitted if no weather to
report.

6 Cloud

FEW005 SCT010CB 'few at five hundred feet, scattered cumulonimbus at one

BKN025 thousand feet, broken at two thousand five hundred feet'

NOTES: FEW='few' (1-2 oktas), SCT='Scattered' (3-4 oktas), BKN='Broken' (5-7 oktas), OVC='Overcast', NSC= no significant cloud
(none below 5000 ft and no TCU or CB). There are only two cloud types reported; TCU=towering cumulus and
CB=cumulonimbus. VV///='state of sky obscured' (cloud base not discernable): Figures in lieu of '///' give vertical visibility in
hundreds of feet. Up to three, but occasionally more, cloud groups may be reported. Cloud heights are given in feet above
airfield height. NCD= no cloud detected (AUTO METARS only)

7 CAVOK*

CAVOK 'cav-oh-kay'

NOTES: Visibility greater or equal to 10 km and the lowest visibility is not reported, no cumulonimbus or towering cumulus,
no cloud below 5000 ft or highest minimum sector altitude (MSA)( whichever is the greater) and no weather significant to
aviation.

8 Temp and dew point

10/03 'temperature ten degrees Celsius, dew point three degrees

Celsius'

NOTES: If dew point is missing, example would be reported as 10///.

M indicates a negative value

9 QNH

Q0995 'nine nine five'

NOTES: Q indicates hectopascals. If the letter A is used QNH is in inches and hundredths.

10 Recent weather

RETS 'recent thunderstorm'

NOTES: RE = Recent, weather codes given above. Up to three groups may be present.

11 Wind shear

WS RWY24 'wind shear runway two four'

NOTES: Will not be reported at present for UK aerodromes.

 12 Colour states

NOTES: Military METAR reports also display a colour state BLU, WHT, GRN, YL01, YL02, AMB or RED, which are coded
according to cloud base and visibility, whilst BLACK indicates the runway is unusable.

These thresholds are different to the colours used to display the observations on the GA website.

13 Runway state group

24421594 Runway 24 has dry snow covering 11% to 25% of the runway to
a depth of 15 millimetres. Braking action is medium or good

NOTES: DRDRCEttBB

DRDR is the runway designator: 27 = Runway 27 or 27L; 77 = Runway 27R (50 is added for "right"); 88 = All runways; 99 = A
repetition of the last message, because no new information has been received.

C indicates runway deposits: 0 = clear and dry; 1 = damp; 2 = wet; 3 = rime or frost covered; 4 = dry snow; 5 = wet snow; 6 =
slush; 7 = ice; 8 = compacted or rolled snow; 9 = frozen ruts or ridges; / = not reported due to runway clearance in progress

E indicates extent of contamination: 1 = 10% or less; 2 = 11-25%; 5 = 26-50%; 9 = 51-100%; / = not reported due to runway
clearance in progress

tt indicates depth of contamination: 00 =

01-90=1 to 90 mm; 91 not used; 92=1 0 cm; 93=1 5 cm; 94=2 0 cm; 95=2 5 cm; 96=3 0 cm; 97=3 5 cm; 98=4 0 cm or more;
99=R unways non-operational due to snow clearance; //=n ot measurable or not significant

BB indicates friction coefficient / braking action: 28 = friction coefficient 28%; 35 = friction coefficient 35%; 91 = braking action
poor; 92 = braking action medium/poor; 93 = braking action medium; 94 = braking action medium/good; 95 = braking action
good; 99 = figures unreliable; // = not reported

If the aerodrome is closed due to contamination of runways, the abbreviation SNOCLO is used in place of a runway state
group. If contamination ceases to exist, the abbreviation CLRD is used between 88 and braking action.

14 Trend

BECMG FM1100 'becoming from 1100, 230 degrees 35 KT , max 50 KT, 3000
23035G50KT 3000 metres, moderate rain showers'
SHRA

NOTES:
BECMG=Becoming TEMPO=Temporarily NOSIG=No sig change
NSW=No sig weather AT=At FM=From
TL=Until NSC=No sig cloud
Any of the wind, visibility, weather or cloud groups may be used, and CAVOK. Multiple groups may be present.

*CAVOK will replace visibility and cloud groups

Example
SAUK02 EGGY 301220 METAR EGLY 301220Z 24015KT 200V280 8000 —RA FEW010 BKN025 18/15 Q0983
TEMPO 3000 RA BKN008=

An example of the above METAR for 1220 UTC on the 30th of the month, in plain language:
EGLY: Issued at 1220Z on 30th. Surface wind: mean 240 deg true, 15 KT; varying between 200 and 280 deg;
prevailing vis 8 km; light rain; cloud; 1-2 oktas base 1000 ft , 5-7 oktas 2500 ft; temperature +18°C, dew point
+15°C QNH 983 hPa; Trend: temporarily 3000 m in moderate rain with 5-7 oktas 800 ft.

Example
SAUK02 EGGY 301220 METAR EGPZ 301220Z 30025G37KT 270V360 6000 1200NE +SHSN SCT005 BKN010CB
03/M01 Q0999 RETS BECMG AT1300 9999 NSW SCT015=

An example of the above METAR for 1220 UTC on the 30th of the month, in plain language:
EGPZ: Issued at 1220Z on the 30th. Surface wind: mean 300 deg true, 25 KT; maximum 37 KT, varying between
270 and 360 deg; prevailing vis 6 km, minimum vis 1200 m (to north-east); heavy shower of snow, Cloud; 3-4
oktas base 500 ft , 5-7 oktas CB base 1000 ft, temperature +3°C, dew point -1°C; QNH 999 hPa; Thunderstorm
since the previous report; Trend: improving at 1300 Zulu to 10 km or more, nil significant weather, 3-4 oktas
1500 ft.
Valid only at the time of production: 07-07-2021 20:24 UTC
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