METAR...The code designator for a routine meteorological aerodrome report.

Abbreviations found in METAR.


INTENSITY: given only for all types of precipitation, blowing dust, sand or snow, using following symbology Symbol ' - ' indicates 'light' or 'slight'. Symbol ' + ' indicates 'heavy' or 'severe'.

  • BC = Patches
  • BCFG = Patches of fog
  • BL... = Blowing...
  • +BLSN = Snowstorm, Blizzard
  • BR. = Mist
  • DR = Low drifting
  • DS = Duststorm
  • DU = Widespread Dust
  • DZ = Drizzle
  • FC = Funnel clouds
  • +FC = Tornado or Water spout
  • FG = Fog
  • FU = Smoke
  • FZ... = Freezing (supercooled)...
  • GR = Hail (>5mm)
  • GS = Small hail and/or Snow Pellets (soft hail <5mm)
  • HZ = Haze
  • IC = Ice crystals, Diamond Dust
  • MI = Shallow
  • MIFG = Shallow fog
  • PL = Ice Pellets
  • PO = Dust- or sand whirls
  • +PO = Dust Devils (=well developed dust or sand whirls)
  • PR = Partial
  • PRFG = Fog covering part of AD
  • PY = Sea Spray
  • RA = Rain
  • SA = Sand
  • SG = Snow grains
  • SH... = Showers of...
  • SN = Snow
  • SQ = Squalls
  • SS = Sandstorm
  • TS... = Thunderstorm with
  • VA = Volcanic Ash
  • VC... = In the Vicinity, i.e within 8 KM of the AD perimeter

CAVOK

The following conditions exist simultaneously:
Visibility
At least 10 KM or more.
Weather
No operationally significant weather (no precipitation, thunderstorm, dust or sandstorm, fog).
Clouds
No clouds below 5000FT, or no clouds below the highest MNM sector altitude, whichever is higher, and no cumulonimbus clouds.

NSC=NO SIGNIFICANT CLOUDS

The following conditions exist simultaneously.
  • No clouds below 5000FT, or
  • No clouds below the highest MNM sector altitude, whichever is higher, and
  • No cumulonimbus clouds.

CHANGE GROUPS IN TAF AND TREND

BECMG
Becoming, used where changes are expected to reach or pass through specified values at a regular or irregular rate.
TEMPO
Temporary, fluctuations of less than one hour and in aggregate less than half the period indicated.
PROB
Probability of, alternative prevailing conditions may occur during the period indicated. Only 30 or 40 used indicating 30% or 40%.
FM
From, change starting from the time...UTC. All conditions given before the FM are superseded by the new conditions given after FM.
NOSIG
No significant change during the whole validity of the TREND forecast. Never implies a forecast for RVR, temperature, devpoint and QNH.