A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

AC

Altocumulus

AD

Aerodrome

AGL

Above ground level

AMD

Amend or amended

AMSL

Above mean sea level

APR

April

AS

Altostratus

ASR

Altimeter setting region

AUG

August

AUTO

Automated METAR (produced with CAA approval outside normal operational hours)

B

BASE

Cloud base

BCFG

Fog patches

BECMG

Becoming

BKN

Broken (5 to 7 oktas)

BL

Blowing

BLW

Below

BR

Mist

BTN

Between

C

C

Degrees Celsius

CAT

Clear Air Turbulence

CAVOK

Ceiling and visibility OK

CB

Cumulonimbus

CC

Cirrocumulus

CI

Cirrus

CIT

Near or over large towns

CLD

Cloud

COR

Correction

COT

At the coast

CS

Cirrostratus

CU

Cumulus

D

D

Downward (tendency in RVR in Civil observations)

DEC

December

DEG

Degrees

DP

Dew point temperature

DR

Low drifting (followed by DU, SA or SN)

DS

Duststorm

DU

Dust (in suspension)

DUC

Dense upper cloud

DZ

Drizzle

E

E

East or easterly

ENE

East-north-east or east-north-easterly

ESE

East-south-east or east-south-easterly

EMBD

Embedded

ETA

Estimated time of arrival

ETD

Estimated time of departure

F

FC

Funnel cloud

FCST

Forecast

FEB

February

FEW

Few (1 or 2 oktas)

FG

Fog

FL

Flight level

FM...

From (followed by time weather change is to begin)

FPM

Feet per minute

FRQ

Frequent

FT

Feet

FU

Smoke

FZ

Freezing (followed by DZ, FG or RA)

G

G

Gust

GEN

Generally

GND

Ground

GR

Hail (5 mm or more in diameter)

GS

Small hail or snow pellets

H

H

High pressure centre

HPA

Hectopascals (= Millibar)

HVY

Heavy

HZ

Haze

I

IC

Ice crystals (diamond dust)

ICE

Icing

INS

Inches (on F2309)

INTSF

Intensifying

IRVR

Instrumented RVR

ISOL

Isolated

J

JAN

January

JTST

Jet stream

JUL

July

JUN

Jun

K

KM

Kilometres

KMH

Kilometres per hour

KT

Knots

L

L

Low pressure centre

LAN

Inland (or over land)

LOC

Locally

LSQ

Line squall

LV

Light & variable (relating to wind)

LYR

Layer(s), layered

M

M

Less than 0 °C (temperature)

M

Less than the lowest reportable value (RVR)

M

Metres

MAR

March

MAX

Maximum

MB

Millibars

METAR

Aviation routine weather report

MI

Shallow (followed by FG)

MNM

Minimum

MOD

Moderate

MON

Above or covering mountains

MPS

Metres per second

MS

Minus

MSL

Mean sea level

MTW

Mountain waves

N

N

North or northerly

NAT

North Atlantic

NCD

No Cloud Detected (on AUTO METARs only)

NDV

No Directional Variation (on AUTO METARs only)

NE

North-east or north-easterly

NIL

None

NM

Nautical miles

NNE

North-north-east or north-north-easterly

NNW

North-north-west or north-north-westerly

NOSIG

No significant change expected

NOTAM

Notice containing important aeronautical information to all personnel concerned with flight operations

NOV

November

NS

Nimbostratus

NSC

No significant cloud

NSW

No significant weather

NW

North-west or north-westerly

O

OCNL

Occasional, occasionally

OCT

October

OVC

Overcast (8 oktas)

P

P

Greater than the highest reportable value (RVR)

PL

Ice pellets

PO

Dust devils

PRFG

Fog banks

PROB

Probability

PS

Plus

PSYS

Pressure System(s)

Q

QFE

Atmospheric pressure at specified datum

QNE

Aerodrome height expressed in pressure altitude

QNH

Altimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground

R

RA

Rain

RMK

Remarks

RVR

Runway visual range

RWY

Runway

S

S

South or southerly

SA

Sand (in suspension)

SC

Stratocumulus

SCT

Scattered (3 or 4 oktas)

SE

South-east or south-easterly

SEA

At sea

SEP

September

SEV

Severe

SFC

Surface

SG

Snow grains

SH...

Shower (followed by RA, SN, PL, GR, GS or combinations thereof)

SIG

Significant

SKC

Sky clear

SN

Snow (flakes)

SPECI

Aviation special weather report

SQ

Squall

SS

Sandstorm

SSE

South-south-east or south-south-easterly

SSW

South-south-west or south-south-westerly

ST

Stratus

STNR

Stationary

SW

South-west or south-westerly

T

T

Temperature

TAF

Terminal aerodrome forecast

TCU

Towering cumulus

TEMPO

Temporary, temporarily

TL

Until

TOP

Cloud top

TROP

Tropopause

TS

Thunderstorm (may also be followed by RA, SN, PL, GR, GS or combinations thereof)

TURB

Turbulence

U

U

Upward (tendency in RVR)

UP

Unidentified Precipitation (on AUTO METARs only)

UTC

Co-ordinated Universal Time

V

VA

Volcanic ash

VAL

In valleys

VC...

In vicinity of aerodrome (followed by FG, FC, SH, PO, BLDU, BLSA, BLSN)

VIS

Visibility

VRB

Variable

VSP

Vertical speed

W

W

West or westerly

WAFC

World Area Forecast Centre

WDSPR

Widespread

WNW

West-north-west or west-north-westerly

WRNG

Warning

WS

Wind shear

WSPD

Wind speed

WSW

West-south-west or west-south-westerly

WX

Weather

Z

Z

Co-ordinated Universal Time