Weather
Introducion to METARs
A METAR is a routine aviation weather report that follows the same pattern every time, though some small regional differences may be identified. For the purpose of this guide, we will use European METARs.
Format
For the purpose of this guide, the following METAR will be used:
EGCC 181920Z AUTO 29006KT 9999 -RA BKN046 17/12 Q1009
| Information | Format | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Station | ICAO | EGCC | Manchester Airport |
| Timestamp | DDHHMM Z | 181920Z | 18th day, 1920Z/UTC |
| Generation Type | N/A | AUTO | If generated automatically, it will display AUTO. It will be omitted if generated manually by ATC |
| Wind | dddSS | 29006KT | Wind coming from 290 degrees, at 6 knots |
| Visibility | metres | 9999 | 10km or more (will display exact if less than 10km) |
| Conditions | codes | -RA | RA means rain, - means it is light, therefore light rain |
| Clouds | conditions | BKN046 | Broken at 4600ft |
| Temp/Dew Point | celcius | 17/12 | Temperature 17C, dew point 12C |
| QNH | hectopascals | Q1009 | 1009hPa |
Learning More
This guide is helpful for understanding more information about METARs.