METAR
A METAR is a coded weather report issued at a specific time for an aerodrome, providing real-time weather conditions along with a short-term trend forecast. These reports are typically updated every hour or at specified intervals, with SPECI reports issued for significant changes between METAR updates.
The trend section at the end of the METAR is valid for the next two hours.
Example METAR:
DAAG 301650Z AUTO 18008KT 140V220 9999 FEW030 25/15 Q1016 NOSIG
Decoding METAR Components
Location & Observation Time
The METAR starts with the ICAO code of the reporting airport (in this case, DAAG for Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport), followed by the day of the month and the UTC time of observation (301650Z indicates the 30th of the month at 1650 UTC).
Auto METAR
AUTO signifies that the report is automatically generated by meteorological instruments without human intervention.
Surface Wind
18008KT 140V220- The first three digits (180) indicate the wind direction (180°).
- The following two digits (08) indicate the average wind speed in knots (08 KT).
- If the wind is variable beyond 60°, the fluctuation is indicated (e.g., 140V220 means the wind varies between 140° and 220°).
- Calm winds are reported as 00000KT.
Gusts
18008G20KT- G followed by a number indicates gusts exceeding the mean wind speed (e.g., 08 KT with gusts of 20 KT).
Variable Wind
VRB02KT- VRB indicates a wind direction variation when speeds are below 3 KT.
Visibility
9999- The maximum reported visibility.
- 9999 means visibility is 10 km or more.
- If visibility varies, additional details may be provided (e.g., 1400N indicates 1400 meters visibility in the north).
Runway Visual Range (RVR)
R09/1200U- Reports visibility down the runway when visibility is below 1500 meters.
- The runway number is followed by the RVR in meters.
- U/D/N indicates whether the RVR is increasing, decreasing, or stable.
Weather Phenomena
-RA- RA (Rain) preceded by - indicates light rain.
- +TSRA means heavy thunderstorm rain.
Common Weather Codes:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| DZ | Drizzle |
| RA | Rain |
| SN | Snow |
| PL | Ice Pellets |
| GR | Hail |
| FG | Fog (Vis <1km) |
| BR | Mist (Vis 1-5 km) |
| TS | Thunderstorm |
Cloud Cover
FEW030- Cloud coverage is reported in eighths (octas) of the sky:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| NSC | No significant clouds |
| FEW | 1-2/8 coverage |
| SCT | 3-4/8 coverage |
| BKN | 5-7/8 coverage (ceiling) |
| OVC | 8/8 (overcast) |
- FEW030 means a few clouds at 3000 feet AGL.
- CAVOK (Ceiling And Visibility OK) replaces visibility, cloud, and weather information when visibility is ≥10 km, no significant clouds exist, and no hazardous weather is reported.
Temperature & Dew Point
25/15- First number (25°C): Ambient temperature.
- Second number (15°C): Dew point temperature.
- If temperatures are negative, an M is used (e.g., M05 = -5°C).
QNH (Pressure)
Q1016- QNH is the air pressure adjusted to sea level in hPa.
- Q1016 means the pressure is 1016 hPa.
Additional Information
NOSIG- NOSIG (No Significant Change) means no expected changes in wind, visibility, weather, or clouds in the next two hours.
- Other possible codes:
- TEMPO: Temporary weather changes.
- BECMG: Gradual weather change.
Example METAR Analysis
DAAG 301650Z AUTO 18008KT 140V220 9999 FEW030 25/15 Q1016 NOSIG- Location: DAAG (Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport)
- Time: 30th of the month, 1650 UTC
- Wind: 180° at 8 KT, variable between 140° and 220°
- Visibility: 10 km or more
- Cloud Cover: Few clouds at 3000 feet
- Temperature: 25°C, Dew Point: 15°C
- Pressure: 1016 hPa
- Trend: No significant change expected