Pilot tools
METAR decoder
Paste a METAR or TAF and read it in plain English, group by group, with the flight category worked out from the cloud and visibility. It reads ICAO, US and Australian formats.
Paste a METAR, SPECI or TAF, or several at once. The type is detected for you.
Try an example
Flight category
MVFR
Marginal VFR, set by the 2,500 ft ceiling.
Wind 240° at 12 kt gusting 22, 10 km or more, light rain showers, broken cloud at 2,500 ft, 18°C, QNH 1013
- Report
- METAR
- Station
- EGLL
- Observed
- 27 13:50Z
Flying with Stratos? Its landing report shows the wind at touchdown, with the headwind and the crosswind on your runway.
For flight simulation only. Don't use it for real-world flight planning or navigation.
Decoded METAR · EGLL
METAR EGLL 271350Z 24012G22KT 210V280 9999 -SHRA FEW018CB BKN025 18/12 Q1013 TEMPO 4000 SHRA
ObservationFlight category MVFR
- METARReport type
- Routine aerodrome weather report, usually issued every hour or half hour.
- EGLLStation
- EGLL, the ICAO code of the aerodrome.
- 271350ZObserved
- The 27th of the month at 13:50 UTC.
- 24012G22KTWind
- From 240° true at 12 kt, gusting 22 kt.
- 210V280Wind direction varying
- Between 210° and 280° true.
- 9999Visibility
- 10 km or more.
- -SHRAWeather
- Light rain showers.
- FEW018CBCloud
- Few (1 to 2 oktas) at 1,800 ft, cumulonimbus.
- BKN025Cloud
- Broken (5 to 7 oktas) at 2,500 ft.
- 18/12Temperature and dew point
- 18°C, dew point 12°C.
- Q1013Pressure (QNH)
- 1,013 hPa (29.91 inHg).
Trend: temporarily
- TEMPOTrend
- Temporary changes expected in the next 2 hours.
- 4000Visibility
- 4,000 m.
- SHRAWeather
- Moderate rain showers.
How to read a METAR
A METAR always runs in the same order: the report type, the station's ICAO code, the day and time in UTC, then the wind, visibility, runway visual range, present weather, cloud, temperature and dew point, and the pressure. A trend for the next two hours can follow (NOSIG, BECMG or TEMPO), and US reports add remarks after RMK.
METAR EGLL 271350Z 24012G22KT 9999 -SHRA BKN025 18/12 Q1013
That reads: London Heathrow on the 27th at 13:50 UTC, wind from 240° true at 12 kt gusting 22, visibility 10 km or more, light rain showers, broken cloud at 2,500 ft, temperature 18°C, dew point 12°C, QNH 1013 hPa. Cloud heights are in hundreds of feet above the aerodrome, and cover is in oktas (eighths of the sky): FEW is 1 to 2, SCT 3 to 4, BKN 5 to 7 and OVC 8. Weather codes are a sign for intensity (- light, + heavy), then a descriptor such as SH (showers) or TS (thunderstorm), then the weather itself, such as RA (rain), SN (snow), BR (mist) or FG (fog).
The wind is given in degrees true, the direction it blows from. When it's across your runway, our guide to landing smoothly covers crosswind landings.
Flight categories
The flight category comes from the FAA's definitions, using the ceiling (the lowest broken or overcast layer, or the vertical visibility when the sky is obscured) and the visibility. Whichever is worse sets the category.
LIFR ceiling below 500 ft or visibility below 1 SM
IFR ceiling 500 to below 1,000 ft or visibility 1 to below 3 SM
MVFR ceiling 1,000 to 3,000 ft or visibility 3 to 5 SM
VFR ceiling above 3,000 ft and visibility above 5 SM
Visibility in metres is converted to statute miles for this, so 8,000 m (just under 5 SM) is MVFR. These are US categories: other countries set their own VFR minimums.
Reading a TAF
A TAF starts with the station, when it was issued and the period it covers (2706/2812 is the 27th at 06:00 to the 28th at 12:00 UTC), then the forecast for the start of that period in the same groups as a METAR. Change groups follow: FM271000 replaces everything from that time, BECMG is a gradual change over the period given, TEMPO is temporary spells, and PROB30 or PROB40 is a 30% or 40% chance. Australian TAFs also use INTER for frequent spells of under 30 minutes.
Questions
What is a METAR?
A METAR is an aerodrome's routine weather report, written in a fixed code set by ICAO and the WMO. It gives the wind, visibility, weather, cloud, temperature, dew point and pressure at the time of the observation, in the same order everywhere. A SPECI is the same report sent between routine ones when the weather changes significantly.
What is the difference between a METAR and a TAF?
A METAR reports the weather at the aerodrome now; a TAF forecasts it for a set period of up to 30 hours. A TAF uses the same groups for wind, visibility, weather and cloud, then adds change groups: FM for a change from a set time, BECMG for a gradual change, TEMPO for temporary spells, and PROB30 or PROB40 for a 30% or 40% chance.
How do you read the wind in a METAR?
In 24012G22KT, the first three digits are the direction the wind blows from in degrees true (240°), the next two are the speed (12 kt), and G22 is the gusts (22 kt). KT means knots and MPS metres per second. 00000KT is calm, VRB means the direction is variable, and a group like 210V280 means it is varying between 210° and 280°. The tower and ATIS give the wind in degrees magnetic, so their figure can differ from the METAR by the local variation.
What does CAVOK mean?
CAVOK means ceiling and visibility OK. It replaces the visibility, weather and cloud groups when the visibility is 10 km or more, there is no cloud below 5,000 ft or the highest minimum sector altitude (whichever is higher), no cumulonimbus or towering cumulus, and no significant weather. It's used under ICAO rules; US reports don't use it.
What do the Q and A pressure groups mean?
Both are the QNH: the pressure setting that makes your altimeter read the aerodrome elevation on the ground. Q1013 gives it in hectopascals (1013 hPa); A2992 gives it in inches of mercury (29.92 inHg), as the US and Canada report it. Standard pressure is 1013.25 hPa, which is 29.92 inHg.
How often are METARs issued?
Most aerodromes issue a METAR every hour or every half hour, at the same minutes past the hour. In between, a SPECI goes out when the weather changes past set limits, such as visibility or the cloud base dropping below a threshold, or a thunderstorm starting.
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