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 available via the Met Office's free Aviation Briefing Service as printable PDFs.

An alphanumeric version is also distributed through the AFTN/AMHS network, accessible via NATS Data Services and third-party flight planning tools.