Reading METAR Reports

A comprehensive guide to decoding routine meteorological reports for pilots and dispatchers.

Reading METAR Reports

METAR is a format for reporting weather information. A METAR weather report is predominantly used by aircraft pilots and meteorologists, who use aggregated METAR information to assist in weather forecasting.

Structure of a METAR

A typical METAR contains:

Type of Report: METAR or SPECI.
Station Identifier: 4-letter ICAO code.
Date and Time: Day of the month and time in UTC.
Wind: Direction and speed.
Visibility: In statute miles or meters.
Weather Phenomena: Rain, fog, etc.
Sky Condition: Cloud layers.
Temperature/Dew Point: In Celsius.
Altimeter: QNH or Altimeter setting.

Example

EGLL 121520Z 24015KT 9999 FEW025 15/08 Q1013

Last Updated: 2026-04-13

Terms and Conditions & Disclaimer

For Educational and Entertainment Purposes Only (Not for Real-World Flights): AeroOps is an interactive simulation sandbox dedicated to Virtual Aviation communities and education. All reports and projections are simulation tools. It is strictly prohibited to use or rely on any platform data for real-world flight planning or dispatching. Data Reliability & User-Generated Content (UGC): Flight callsigns and logos are entered by users for immersive simulation under Fair Use. The platform has no commercial affiliation with real-world airlines. Weather and NOTAM data are fetched to enhance the simulation experience and must never replace official aviation briefings. It is strictly prohibited to use Loadsheets, weather metrics, or flight schedules generated by this platform in real-world aviation.

Reading METAR Reports | AeroOps