METAR is a standardized format for reporting current weather conditions at airports, providing essential data such as temperature, visibility, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure. These reports are updated hourly and are crucial for flight planning and safe aircraft operations.
By Avinash VJ
METAR (Meteorological Aerodrome Report) is an aviation routine weather report providing essential information about current weather conditions at an airport.
Key Components:
- Report Type: METAR reports begin with the identifier METAR.
- Station Identifier: A four-letter code representing the reporting airport.
- Date and Time: UTC date and time of the observation.
- Wind: Direction (in degrees) and speed (in knots), followed by gusts if present.
- Visibility: Horizontal visibility in meters or statute miles.
- Weather Phenomena: Abbreviations for significant weather conditions, such as rain (RA), snow (SN), or fog (FG).
- Sky Conditions: Information on cloud cover, including type and altitude.
- Temperature and Dew Point: Temperature (in degrees Celsius) and dew point (in degrees Celsius).
- Altimeter Setting: Atmospheric pressure at sea level, given in inches of mercury (inHg) or hectopascals (hPa).
Example METAR:
METAR KJFK 161800Z 12010KT 10SM SCT025 BKN080 20/15 A3010
- METAR for JFK Airport at the 16th day of the month at 1800 UTC.
- Wind from 120 degrees at 10 knots.
- Visibility is 10 statute miles.
- Scattered clouds at 2500 feet, broken clouds at 8000 feet.
- Temperature is 20°C, dew point is 15°C.
- Altimeter setting is 30.10 inHg.
Interpreting METAR reports is crucial for pilots to make informed decisions regarding takeoff, landing, and en-route navigation based on current weather conditions at the airport.
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