GAMETs

What is a Gamet?

GAMET is a plain-text meterological forecast provided by the Met Office on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It was introduced to replace AIRMETs, offering a more modern and harmonised format. GAMETs adddress the need for clear, consistent, and ICAO- aligned weather information for low-level aviation, supporting safer and more efficient flight operations. 

Who is it for?

GAMETs are desigmed for a wide range of general aviation users, including:

• Fixed-wing and rotary pilots - for planning safe low-level routes.
• Business jet operators - to assess weather risks during regional flights. 
• Balloonists and glider pilots - who rely on detailed wind and visibility data. 
• Aviation hobbyists - for informed recreational flying.

What does it include?

Each GAMET forecast includes:

• Met situation - summary of forecast conditions for a defined time.
• Strong wind warnings - issued for mean speeds ≥15KT or gusts ≥28KT. 
• Freezing level - including local variations. 
• Weather conditions - visibility, cloud, and weather split into up to 3 zones. 
• Wind and temperatures - spot values at 1000, 3000, and 6000ft. 
• Regional outlook - 6-hour forecast after the main validity period. 
• UK extended outlook - 24-hour forecast following the regional outlook. 

When and How is it issued?

GAMETs are issued four times daily at 0400, 1000, 1600, and 2200 UTC. Each update includes a 9-hour validity period, with outlooks extending up to 30 hours. Spot wind data is provided at 3-hour intervals. Forecasts are monitored continuously and amended as needed based on CAA-defined criteria.

Details of GAMET issue times and validity periods are shown below:

Regional area/forecast	Update time	Validity period	Met situation validity time	Regional outlook period	Spot wind validity	UK outlook period
Standard for all GAMETs (North, Central, Southwest and Southeast)	0400	08-17	1200	18-00	09,12,15	00-24
	1000	14-23	1800	00-06	15,18,21	06-06
	1600	20-05	0000	06-12	21,24,03	12-12
	2200	02-11	0600	12-18	03,06,09	18-18

GAMETs are provided for the following areas:

GAMET Southeast: area to the east of Southampton-Oxford-Northampton-The Wash

GAMET Southwest: area to the east of Southampton-Oxford-Leamington Spa-Llanbedr

GAMET Central: north of area covered by Southeast and Southwest areas up to a line from Carlisle to Berwick

GAMET North: north of area covered by Central area including Northern Ireland

Map of the UK with GAMET area coverage 

Click here for an example forecast

How can I access the service?

GAMETs are currently available through the Met Office Aviation Briefing Service as printable PDFs with an alphanumric version availavle through the AFTN/AMHS network, accessible via NATS Data Services and third-party flight planning tools. 

The Met Office Aviation Briefing Sercice is scheduled to retire in Spring 2026 and from Autumn 2025 it will transition to the Met Office Aeronautical Visualisation Service (MAVIS^®). For details on how to sign up, please visit MAVIS webpage.