Template for METAR and SPECI

Key:

M      =        inclusion mandatory;

C       =        inclusion conditional, dependent on meteorological conditions or method of observation;

O       =        inclusion optional.

Note 1: The ranges and resolutions for the numerical elements included in METAR and SPECI are provided in a separate table below this template.

Note 2: The explanations for the abbreviations can be found in ICAO Document 8400 Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Abbreviations and Codes (PANS-ABC).

Note 3: Row numbers in the ‘Ref.’ column are included only for clarity and ease of reference, and are not part of the METAR and SPECI.

Ref.

Element

Detailed content

Template(s)

1

Identification of the type of report (M)

Type of report (M)

METAR, METAR COR, SPECI or SPECI COR

2

Location indicator (M)

ICAO location indicator (M)

nnnn

3

Time of the observation (M)

Day and actual time of the observation in UTC (M)

nnnnnnZ

4

Identification of an automated or missing report (C)

Automated or missing report identifier (C)

AUTO or NIL

5

END OF METAR IF THE REPORT IS MISSING.

6

Surface wind (M)

Wind direction (M)

nnn or /// ([41])

VRB

Wind speed (M)

[P]nn[n] or // ([42])

Significant speed variations (C)

G[P]nn[n]

Units of measurement (M)

KT

Significant directional variations (C)

nnnVnnn

—

7

Visibility (M)

Prevailing or minimum visibility (M)

nnnn or //// ([43])

C

A

V

O

K

Minimum visibility and direction of the minimum visibility (C)

nnnn[N] or nnnn[NE] or nnnn[E] or nnnn[SE] or nnnn[S] or nnnn[SW] or nnnn[W] or nnnn[NW]

8

Runway visual range (C) ([44])

Name of the element (M)

R

Runway (M)

nn[L]/or nn[C]/or nn[R]/

Runway visual range (M)

[P or M]nnnn or //// ([45]1)

Runway visual range past tendency (C)

U, D or N

9

Present weather (C)

Intensity or proximity of present weather (C)

– or +

—

VC

Characteristics and type of present weather (M)

DZ or

RA or

SN or

SG or

PL or

DS or

SS or

FZDZ or

FZRA or

FZUP ([46]) or

FC ([47]) or

SHGR or

SHGS or

SHRA or

SHSN or

SHUP ([48]) or

TSGR or

TSGS or

TSRA or

TSSN or

TSUP ([49]) or

UP ([50])

FG or

BR or

SA or

DU or

HZ or

FU or

VA or

SQ or

PO or

TS or

BCFG or

BLDU or

BLSA or

BLSN or

DRDU or

DRSA or

DRSN or

FZFG or

MIFG or

PRFG or

// ([51])

FG or

PO or

FC or

DS or

SS or

TS or

SH or

BLSN or

BLSA or

BLDU or

VA

10

Cloud (M)

Cloud amount and height of cloud base or vertical visibility (M)

FEWnnn or

SCTnnn or

BKNnnn or

OVCnnn or

FEW/// ([52]) or

SCT/// ([53]) or

BKN/// ([54]) or

OVC/// ([55]) or

///nnn ([56]) or

////// ([57])

VVnnn or

VV/// ([58])

NSC

or NCD ([59])

Cloud type (C)

CB or

TCU or /// ([60]),([61])

—

11

Air and dew-point temperature (M)

Air and dew-point temperature (M)

[M]nn/[M]nn or ///[M]nn ([62]) or [M]nn/// ([63]) or ///// ([64])

12

Pressure values (M)

Name of the element (M)

Q

QNH (M)

nnnn or //// ([65])

13

Supplementary information (C)

Recent weather (C)

RERASN or REFZDZ or REFZRA or REDZ or RE[SH]RA or RE[SH]SN or RESG or RESHGR or RESHGS or REBLSN or RESS or REDS or RETSRA or RETSSN or RETSGR or RETSGS or RETS or REFC or REVA or REPL or REUP ([66]) or REFZUP ([67]) or RETSUP ([68]) or RESHUP ([69]) or RE// ([70])

Wind shear (C)

WS Rnn[L] or WS Rnn[C] or WS Rnn[R] or WS ALL RWY

Sea-surface temperature and state of the sea or significant wave height (C)

W[M]nn/Sn or W///Sn ([71]) or W[M]nn/S/ ([72]) or W[M]nn/Hn[n][n] or W///Hn[n][n] ([73]) or W[M]nn/H/// ([74])

14

Trend forecast (O)

Change indicator (M)

NOSIG

BECMG or TEMPO

Period of change (C)

FMnnnn and/or

TLnnnn

or

ATnnnn

Wind (C) 

nnn[P]nn[G[P]nn]KT

Prevailing visibility (C) 

nnnn

C

A

V

O

K

Weather phenomenon:

intensity (C)

– or +

—

N

S

W

Weather phenomenon:

characteristics and

type (C)

DZ or RA or SN or SG or PL or DS or SS or

FZDZ or FZRA or SHGR or SHGS or SHRA or SHSN or TSGR or TSGS or TSRA or TSSN

FG or BR or SA or DU or HZ or FU or VA or SQ or PO or FC or TS or BCFG or BLDU or BLSA or BLSN or DRDU or DRSA or DRSN or FZFG or MIFG or PRFG

Cloud amount and height of cloud base or vertical visibility (C)

FEWnnn or

SCTnnn

or

BKNnnn

or

OVCnnn

VVnnn or

VV///

N

S

C

Cloud type (C)

CB or TCU

—

Ranges and resolutions for the numerical elements included in METAR and SPECI

1

Runway:

(no units)

01–36

1

2

Wind direction:

°true

000–360

10

3

Wind speed:

KT

00–99

P99

1

N/A (100 or greater)

4

Visibility:

M

0000–0750

50

M

0800–4 900

100

M

5 000–9 000

1 000

M

10 000 or greater

0 (fixed value: 9 999)

5

Runway visual range:

M

0000–0375

25

M

0400–0750

50

M

0800–2 000

100

6

Vertical visibility:

100’s FT

000–020

1

7

Clouds: height of cloud base:

100’s FT

000–099

100-200

1

10

8

Air temperature:

Dew-point temperature:

°C

–80 – +60

1

9

QNH:  

hPa

0850–1 100

1

10

Sea-surface temperature:

°C

–10 – +40

1

11

State of the sea:         

(no units)

0–9

1

12

Significant wave height:

M

0–999

0,1