Meteorological Aerodrome Report

A Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) is a standardized format for reporting current weather conditions at an airport, issued at regular intervals (typically every 30 or 60 minutes) and as special reports (SPECI) when significant changes occur.

A METAR includes:

• Station identifier: ICAO 4-letter code
• Time: UTC (Zulu time)
• Wind: Direction and speed (e.g., 27015KT)
• Visibility: In meters or statute miles
• Weather phenomena: Rain, snow, fog, thunderstorm, etc.
• Clouds: Coverage (FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC) and height
• Temperature/dewpoint: In degrees Celsius
• Altimeter setting: QNH in hectopascals or inches of mercury

Pilots use METARs for departure, destination, and alternate weather assessment during flight planning.