Meteorology
Decoding METAR & TAF Weather Reports for Aviation Flight Planning
How pilots and dispatchers read raw METAR routine weather reports, TAF forecasts, RVR runway visual range, and altimeter settings.
8 min read Published
1. What is a METAR Report?
METAR (Meteorological Aerodrome Report) is the international standard format for reporting current weather observations at airports. Reports are generated automatically by ASOS/AWOS stations or human observers every 30 to 60 minutes.
2. Dissecting a Raw METAR Example
KJFK 101451Z 24012KT 10SM FEW250 18/11 A3002
- KJFK: Airport ICAO identifier (New York JFK).
- 101451Z: Day of month (10th) at 14:51 UTC (Zulu time).
- 24012KT: Wind direction 240 degrees at 12 knots.
- 10SM: Visibility 10 Statute Miles.
- FEW250: Few clouds at 25,000 feet.
- 18/11: Temperature 18°C / Dewpoint 11°C.
- A3002: Altimeter setting 30.02 inches of mercury (inHg).
See the latest METAR weather reports on our New Delhi (DEL) and Singapore Changi (SIN) airport pages.