[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1059},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-posts-en":3},[4,286,485],{"id":5,"title":6,"body":7,"date":271,"description":272,"extension":273,"image":274,"meta":277,"navigation":278,"path":279,"seo":280,"stem":283,"translationKey":284,"__hash__":285},"blog_en\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002Fgafor-categories.md","GAFOR Colours: What Charlie, Oscar, Delta, Mike and X-Ray Mean",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":259},"minimark",[10,14,19,22,136,139,143,152,156,160,163,166,174,178,181,191,194,198,206,209,213,216,222,226,229,233,237],[11,12,13],"p",{},"Anyone planning a VFR flight in Germany runs into GAFOR sooner or later. The name is short for General Aviation Forecast, a forecast the German Weather Service (DWD) issues for general aviation. For each area it boils the flying weather down to a single letter. The METARMAP uses the same five categories and turns each letter into a colour.",[15,16,18],"h2",{"id":17},"the-five-categories","The five categories",[11,20,21],{},"Two values decide the category: visibility and cloud ceiling. The letters come from the phonetic alphabet, which is why pilots say Charlie, Oscar, Delta, Mike and X-Ray.",[23,24,25,47],"table",{},[26,27,28],"thead",{},[29,30,31,35,38,41,44],"tr",{},[32,33,34],"th",{},"Category",[32,36,37],{},"Meaning",[32,39,40],{},"Visibility",[32,42,43],{},"Cloud ceiling",[32,45,46],{},"Colour on the METARMAP",[48,49,50,68,85,102,119],"tbody",{},[29,51,52,56,59,62,65],{},[53,54,55],"td",{},"C (Charlie)",[53,57,58],{},"clear",[53,60,61],{},"10 km or more",[53,63,64],{},"5000 ft or more",[53,66,67],{},"blue",[29,69,70,73,76,79,82],{},[53,71,72],{},"O (Oscar)",[53,74,75],{},"open",[53,77,78],{},"8 km or more",[53,80,81],{},"2000 ft or more",[53,83,84],{},"green",[29,86,87,90,93,96,99],{},[53,88,89],{},"D (Delta)",[53,91,92],{},"difficult",[53,94,95],{},"5 km or more",[53,97,98],{},"1000 ft or more",[53,100,101],{},"yellow",[29,103,104,107,110,113,116],{},[53,105,106],{},"M (Mike)",[53,108,109],{},"marginal",[53,111,112],{},"1.5 km or more",[53,114,115],{},"500 ft or more",[53,117,118],{},"orange",[29,120,121,124,127,130,133],{},[53,122,123],{},"X (X-Ray)",[53,125,126],{},"closed",[53,128,129],{},"below 1.5 km",[53,131,132],{},"below 500 ft",[53,134,135],{},"red",[11,137,138],{},"Charlie is the best VFR weather there is, with long visibility and high cloud or no closed cloud layer at all. Oscar is still good flying, the cloud just sits a bit lower. Delta means difficult: visibility is reduced or the ceiling is below 2000 ft, so the flight needs more planning. Conditions under Mike are marginal. And X-Ray means VFR flight is practically impossible, for example in fog or very low cloud.",[15,140,142],{"id":141},"check-the-limits-at-your-own-airfield","Check the limits at your own airfield",[11,144,145,146,151],{},"Our ",[147,148,150],"a",{"href":149},"\u002Fen\u002Ftools\u002Fmetar-decoder","METAR decoder"," works out the category for every current METAR, with the same table as above. Type in an identifier and you can see where your airfield stands:",[153,154],"blog-metar-tool",{"mode":155},"gafor",[15,157,159],{"id":158},"the-worse-value-decides","The worse value decides",[11,161,162],{},"You need two rules to read the table correctly.",[11,164,165],{},"First, the less favourable of the two values always wins. With 12 km visibility and a cloud layer at 800 ft, an airfield ends up in Mike despite the excellent visibility. High cloud doesn't help either if visibility is only 4 km; that also gives Mike.",[11,167,168,169,173],{},"Second, a layer only counts as the ceiling if it covers at least five eighths of the sky. In a METAR those are the groups BKN (five to seven eighths) and OVC (eight eighths). A few scattered clouds at 600 ft leave the category alone, while a solid layer at the same height pulls it down. Our article on ",[147,170,172],{"href":171},"\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-read-a-metar","how to read a METAR"," shows what these groups look like in the report.",[15,175,177],{"id":176},"the-metarmap-legend","The METARMAP legend",[11,179,180],{},"Every METARMAP ships with this legend in print. It lays the categories out as a grid, with the cloud ceiling rising upwards and visibility increasing to the right. Where the two values meet, you find the category and its colour.",[11,182,183],{},[184,185],"img",{"alt":186,"className":187,"src":190},"METARMAP legend: GAFOR categories by visibility and cloud ceiling",[188,189],"mx-auto","max-w-md","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fmetarmap-legende.webp",[11,192,193],{},"The grid also shows why an airfield so rarely glows blue. Charlie needs both 10 km visibility and no closed cloud layer below 5000 ft. A layer at 4500 ft is enough to turn a clear day into Oscar.",[15,195,197],{"id":196},"blinking-lightning-and-dark-leds","Blinking, lightning and dark LEDs",[11,199,200,201,205],{},"The METARMAP shows two things on top of the GAFOR scheme. If the wind reaches 15 knots or the airfield reports gusts, the LED blinks between its colour and a darker shade of it. White blinking means lightning. You can change the wind limit and every colour in ",[147,202,204],{"href":203},"\u002Fen\u002Fconnect","METARMAP Connect",".",[11,207,208],{},"A dark LED means there is no usable report for that airfield right now. For airfields on the edge of the map, it can also mean the edge LEDs are switched off in Connect.",[15,210,212],{"id":211},"forecast-or-observation","Forecast or observation",[11,214,215],{},"The DWD's GAFOR is a forecast for areas, and it measures the ceiling from a reference height for each area. The METARMAP applies the same limits to the METAR, which is the current observation at the airfield itself. So what you see is the weather now, not the weather in three hours.",[217,218,219],"note",{},[11,220,221],{},"The METARMAP gives you a quick overview. It doesn't replace a weather briefing or proper flight preparation.",[15,223,225],{"id":224},"the-colours-on-your-wall","The colours on your wall",[11,227,228],{},"If you'd rather see the categories every day than look them up during your briefing, the METARMAP shows them live for around 80 airfields.",[230,231],"blog-products",{":handles":232},"[\"metarmap-mini\", \"metarmap\"]",[15,234,236],{"id":235},"frequently-asked-questions","Frequently asked questions",[238,239,240,247,253],"accordion",{},[241,242,244],"accordion-item",{"label":243},"What does GAFOR mean?",[11,245,246],{},"GAFOR stands for General Aviation Forecast. It's an aviation weather forecast by the German Weather Service for general aviation, and it sorts the weather of an area into five categories from C to X.",[241,248,250],{"label":249},"What do Charlie, Oscar, Delta, Mike and X-Ray stand for?",[11,251,252],{},"They are the letters C, O, D, M and X in the phonetic alphabet. They mean clear, open, difficult, marginal and closed, ranging from the best VFR weather to conditions where VFR flight is practically impossible.",[241,254,256],{"label":255},"Why don't scattered clouds count as the ceiling?",[11,257,258],{},"That's how the scheme is defined: only a layer covering at least five eighths of the sky counts as the ceiling, which in a METAR means BKN or OVC. Scattered cloud below it doesn't change the category.",{"title":260,"searchDepth":261,"depth":261,"links":262},"",2,[263,264,265,266,267,268,269,270],{"id":17,"depth":261,"text":18},{"id":141,"depth":261,"text":142},{"id":158,"depth":261,"text":159},{"id":176,"depth":261,"text":177},{"id":196,"depth":261,"text":197},{"id":211,"depth":261,"text":212},{"id":224,"depth":261,"text":225},{"id":235,"depth":261,"text":236},"2026-09-29","The five GAFOR categories with their visibility and cloud ceiling limits, and how the METARMAP turns them into colours.","md",{"src":275,"alt":276},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgafor-legende.webp","The METARMAP legend card that comes with every map: GAFOR categories C, O, D, M and X by visibility and cloud ceiling",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002Fgafor-categories",{"title":281,"description":282},"GAFOR Categories and Colours Explained","What do Charlie, Oscar, Delta, Mike and X-Ray mean? The GAFOR categories with their visibility and cloud ceiling limits, explained in plain terms.","en\u002Fblog\u002Fgafor-categories","gafor-colors","Jly85NwOFhGlNR4trbSqivC6WZAJMQiZVhh53OwYttQ",{"id":287,"title":288,"body":289,"date":271,"description":473,"extension":273,"image":474,"meta":477,"navigation":278,"path":478,"seo":479,"stem":482,"translationKey":483,"__hash__":484},"blog_en\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002Fgifts-for-pilots.md","Gifts for Pilots: What Gets Used and What Ends Up in a Drawer",{"type":8,"value":290,"toc":459},[291,294,298,305,308,310,323,329,334,345,349,352,356,369,373,384,388,399,403,406,409,413,420,428,430],[11,292,293],{},"Pilots are hard to shop for, because they bought the headset, the kneeboard and the sunglasses long ago, to their own taste and usually after a lot of comparing. If you don't fly yourself, the pilot mug with a joke on it starts to look tempting. You can do better without knowing what a METAR is.",[15,295,297],{"id":296},"the-metarmap-as-a-gift","The METARMAP as a gift",[11,299,300,301,304],{},"We'll start with our own product and get that out of the way. The METARMAP is a printed aviation chart with LEDs, built in Leipzig. Each airfield has an LED that glows in the colour of the weather currently reported there, using the ",[147,302,303],{"href":279},"GAFOR scheme"," that pilots in Germany know from flight planning. The map fetches new data every five minutes on its own.",[11,306,307],{},"Few people would buy one for themselves. They still use it every day, since one look in the morning shows whether the drive to the airfield is worth it. In the evening it's a nice lamp on the shelf.",[230,309],{":handles":232},[11,311,312,313,317,318,322],{},"For a gift, the ",[147,314,316],{"href":315},"\u002Fen\u002Fproducts\u002Fmetarmap-mini","METARMAP Mini"," is usually the better pick. It sits on a desk or sideboard, so you don't need to know which wall is free. The large A1 ",[147,319,321],{"href":320},"\u002Fen\u002Fproducts\u002Fmetarmap","METARMAP"," makes sense once you know where it will hang, or when a whole flying club is the recipient.",[324,325,326],"tip",{},[11,327,328],{},"You don't need to know their home airfield. Both maps cover all of Germany, and the Mini adds airfields in neighbouring countries.",[330,331,333],"h3",{"id":332},"what-the-map-needs","What the map needs",[11,335,336,337,339,340,344],{},"Power and Wi-Fi. It's set up once in the browser through ",[147,338,204],{"href":203},", and there is no app. On a computer that works with Chrome, Edge or Opera, and on Android with Chrome. Safari can't use the Bluetooth interface it needs, so on an iPhone you use the Bluefy browser instead. The ",[147,341,343],{"href":342},"\u002Fen\u002Fdocs\u002Fmetarmap-connect\u002Fbrowser","list of supported browsers"," has the details.",[15,346,348],{"id":347},"more-gift-ideas-for-pilots","More gift ideas for pilots",[11,350,351],{},"Not every gift has to light up.",[330,353,355],{"id":354},"small-things","Small things",[357,358,359,363,366],"ul",{},[360,361,362],"li",{},"A remove-before-flight tag costs little, and any pilot recognises one at once. On an aircraft these red streamers hang from the pitot tube and the control lock.",[360,364,365],{},"DFS, Germany's air navigation service, publishes a new ICAO chart every year. Plenty of pilots still carry a paper chart as a backup to their app, and then the current edition belongs on board.",[360,367,368],{},"Saint-Exupéry's \"Wind, Sand and Stars\" is a classic of flying literature. It reads well even for people who rarely pick up a book.",[330,370,372],{"id":371},"for-everyday-flying","For everyday flying",[357,374,375,378,381],{},[360,376,377],{},"A kneeboard straps to the thigh and holds the chart, checklist and notes. Ask first whether they fly with a tablet, because then it has to fit their iPad.",[360,379,380],{},"A good flight bag takes the headset, charts and water. Look for one with a padded headset compartment.",[360,382,383],{},"A nice logbook is only worth it if they still log on paper. Many switched to an electronic one years ago.",[330,385,387],{"id":386},"experiences","Experiences",[357,389,390,393,396],{},[360,391,392],{},"An hour in an airliner simulator appeals to private pilots in particular. They get to fly an aircraft they would never otherwise get near.",[360,394,395],{},"A guest flight in a different kind of aircraft changes the view: the powered pilot in a glider, the glider pilot in a gyroplane.",[360,397,398],{},"A tailwheel conversion or a taster aerobatics lesson teaches something they can go on to fly themselves. Ask their flight school or club about vouchers.",[15,400,402],{"id":401},"better-to-ask-first","Better to ask first",[11,404,405],{},"Headsets are a matter of taste. Fit, weight and noise cancelling are things people want to try for themselves, and the plug has to match the aircraft. At those prices, don't guess.",[11,407,408],{},"Polarised sunglasses are a poor fit for the cockpit. Some displays become hard to read through them, and they show stress patterns in the windscreen. If it has to be sunglasses, pick a pair without polarisation.",[15,410,412],{"id":411},"order-in-good-time","Order in good time",[11,414,415,416,344],{},"Every METARMAP is assembled and tested after you order it, and it usually reaches you within 4 to 7 business days, sometimes a little later in the run-up to Christmas. The ",[147,417,419],{"href":418},"\u002Fen\u002Fshipping","shipping page",[11,421,422,423,427],{},"If the map doesn't suit them, you can return it unused and in its original packaging within 30 days. That period starts on delivery, not on the day you hand it over, which matters if you order in October. The ",[147,424,426],{"href":425},"\u002Fen\u002Flegal\u002Frevocation","revocation policy"," explains the rest.",[15,429,236],{"id":235},[238,431,432,438,444,453],{},[241,433,435],{"label":434},"What can you give a pilot?",[11,436,437],{},"Things people rarely buy for themselves but use often. That might be an LED aviation weather map like the METARMAP, the current ICAO chart, a kneeboard or a flight bag. For something special, give an experience such as an hour in an airliner simulator or a guest flight in a glider.",[241,439,441],{"label":440},"Do I need to know where they fly?",[11,442,443],{},"Not for the METARMAP. Both maps cover all of Germany, and the Mini adds airfields in neighbouring countries.",[241,445,447],{"label":446},"Does the METARMAP need an app?",[11,448,449,450,452],{},"No. It's set up once in the browser through ",[147,451,204],{"href":203}," and then runs over Wi-Fi. On an iPhone that takes the Bluefy browser, because Safari doesn't support Web Bluetooth.",[241,454,456],{"label":455},"Is the METARMAP available for other countries?",[11,457,458],{},"Both maps currently show Germany, and the Mini also covers airfields in neighbouring countries. More European country versions are planned.",{"title":260,"searchDepth":261,"depth":261,"links":460},[461,465,470,471,472],{"id":296,"depth":261,"text":297,"children":462},[463],{"id":332,"depth":464,"text":333},3,{"id":347,"depth":261,"text":348,"children":466},[467,468,469],{"id":354,"depth":464,"text":355},{"id":371,"depth":464,"text":372},{"id":386,"depth":464,"text":387},{"id":401,"depth":261,"text":402},{"id":411,"depth":261,"text":412},{"id":235,"depth":261,"text":236},"What do you give someone who flies? Ideas from small tokens to a guest flight, and two things to check with them before you buy.",{"src":475,"alt":476},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgeschenk-metarmap-zuhause.webp","On the left the large METARMAP framed on a wall, on the right the METARMAP Mini on a desk, both with glowing airfields",{},"\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002Fgifts-for-pilots",{"title":480,"description":481},"Gifts for Pilots: Ideas That Actually Land","Gift ideas for pilots, from an LED aviation weather map to a kneeboard or a guest flight, plus what to check with them before you buy.","en\u002Fblog\u002Fgifts-for-pilots","gifts-for-pilots","up1E8XhSJ-OjVTQ80y7wurJvrEPHgtCzXvRREihzw3U",{"id":486,"title":487,"body":488,"date":271,"description":1048,"extension":273,"image":1049,"meta":1052,"navigation":278,"path":171,"seo":1053,"stem":1056,"translationKey":1057,"__hash__":1058},"blog_en\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-read-a-metar.md","How to Read a METAR: The Aviation Weather Report, Group by Group",{"type":8,"value":489,"toc":1030},[490,493,497,503,507,511,514,524,627,630,634,638,641,645,666,669,683,687,698,805,809,815,882,900,903,907,916,920,928,932,946,950,956,960,963,969,972,975,981,984,988,995,997,1002,1004],[11,491,492],{},"A METAR is an airfield's routine weather report. The name is short for Meteorological Aerodrome Report. Larger airfields issue a new one every 30 or 60 minutes, plus a special report called SPECI when the weather changes suddenly. At first glance it looks like a jumble of letters and numbers. The groups always come in the same order, though, and once you know that order you can read a METAR in a few seconds.",[15,494,496],{"id":495},"decode-a-metar","Decode a METAR",[11,498,499,500,205],{},"The decoder already holds an example report. Hover over a group to see what it means. Type an ICAO identifier such as EGLL and it fetches that airfield's current report, or paste a complete METAR. The decoder also has its ",[147,501,502],{"href":149},"own page",[153,504],{"example":505,"mode":506},"METAR EDDP 291150Z 24012KT 9999 FEW030 BKN045 17\u002F09 Q1016 NOSIG","parse",[15,508,510],{"id":509},"an-example","An example",[11,512,513],{},"We made up the report in the decoder for Leipzig\u002FHalle. It's what a quiet afternoon could look like:",[515,516,521],"pre",{"className":517,"code":519,"language":520,"meta":260},[518],"language-text","METAR EDDP 291150Z 24012KT 9999 FEW030 BKN045 17\u002F09 Q1016 NOSIG\n","text",[522,523,519],"code",{"__ignoreMap":260},[23,525,526,535],{},[26,527,528],{},[29,529,530,533],{},[32,531,532],{},"Group",[32,534,37],{},[48,536,537,547,557,567,577,587,597,607,617],{},[29,538,539,544],{},[53,540,541],{},[522,542,543],{},"EDDP",[53,545,546],{},"Leipzig\u002FHalle airport",[29,548,549,554],{},[53,550,551],{},[522,552,553],{},"291150Z",[53,555,556],{},"on the 29th of the month at 11:50 UTC",[29,558,559,564],{},[53,560,561],{},[522,562,563],{},"24012KT",[53,565,566],{},"wind from 240 degrees at 12 knots",[29,568,569,574],{},[53,570,571],{},[522,572,573],{},"9999",[53,575,576],{},"visibility 10 km or more",[29,578,579,584],{},[53,580,581],{},[522,582,583],{},"FEW030",[53,585,586],{},"a few clouds at 3000 ft",[29,588,589,594],{},[53,590,591],{},[522,592,593],{},"BKN045",[53,595,596],{},"broken cloud at 4500 ft",[29,598,599,604],{},[53,600,601],{},[522,602,603],{},"17\u002F09",[53,605,606],{},"temperature 17 °C, dew point 9 °C",[29,608,609,614],{},[53,610,611],{},[522,612,613],{},"Q1016",[53,615,616],{},"QNH 1016 hPa",[29,618,619,624],{},[53,620,621],{},[522,622,623],{},"NOSIG",[53,625,626],{},"no significant change expected",[11,628,629],{},"On the METARMAP, Leipzig\u002FHalle would glow green for this, in the Oscar category. The reason comes further down.",[15,631,633],{"id":632},"the-groups-one-by-one","The groups one by one",[330,635,637],{"id":636},"station-and-time","Station and time",[11,639,640],{},"The airfield appears as a four-letter ICAO code. German airfields start with ED, such as EDDM for Munich or EDDH for Hamburg. Day and time follow, always in UTC, which the Z marks. AUTO after it means the report comes from an automatic station with no observer.",[330,642,644],{"id":643},"wind","Wind",[11,646,647,649,650,653,654,657,658,661,662,665],{},[522,648,563],{}," means wind from 240 degrees at 12 knots. The direction is where the wind blows from, relative to true north. Gusts follow a G, so ",[522,651,652],{},"24012G25KT"," means gusts up to 25 knots. ",[522,655,656],{},"VRB03KT"," is light wind from varying directions and ",[522,659,660],{},"00000KT"," is calm. If the direction swings a lot, a separate group such as ",[522,663,664],{},"210V270"," follows.",[330,667,40],{"id":668},"visibility",[11,670,671,672,674,675,678,679,682],{},"Visibility is given in metres. ",[522,673,573],{}," is the highest value and means 10 km or more, while ",[522,676,677],{},"0800"," is 800 metres. Airfields with an instrument landing system may add the runway visual range, for example ",[522,680,681],{},"R26\u002F0600"," for 600 metres on runway 26.",[330,684,686],{"id":685},"weather","Weather",[11,688,689,690,693,694,697],{},"Weather is written as abbreviations that can be combined. A minus in front means light and a plus means heavy, so ",[522,691,692],{},"-SHRA"," is light rain showers and ",[522,695,696],{},"+TSRA"," is a thunderstorm with heavy rain.",[23,699,700,713],{},[26,701,702],{},[29,703,704,707,709,711],{},[32,705,706],{},"Code",[32,708,37],{},[32,710,706],{},[32,712,37],{},[48,714,715,733,751,769,787],{},[29,716,717,722,725,730],{},[53,718,719],{},[522,720,721],{},"RA",[53,723,724],{},"rain",[53,726,727],{},[522,728,729],{},"FG",[53,731,732],{},"fog",[29,734,735,740,743,748],{},[53,736,737],{},[522,738,739],{},"DZ",[53,741,742],{},"drizzle",[53,744,745],{},[522,746,747],{},"BR",[53,749,750],{},"mist",[29,752,753,758,761,766],{},[53,754,755],{},[522,756,757],{},"SN",[53,759,760],{},"snow",[53,762,763],{},[522,764,765],{},"HZ",[53,767,768],{},"haze",[29,770,771,776,779,784],{},[53,772,773],{},[522,774,775],{},"SH",[53,777,778],{},"showers",[53,780,781],{},[522,782,783],{},"GR",[53,785,786],{},"hail",[29,788,789,794,797,802],{},[53,790,791],{},[522,792,793],{},"TS",[53,795,796],{},"thunderstorm",[53,798,799],{},[522,800,801],{},"FZ",[53,803,804],{},"freezing",[330,806,808],{"id":807},"cloud","Cloud",[11,810,811,812,814],{},"Each cloud layer is the coverage in eighths plus the height in hundreds of feet above the airfield. ",[522,813,593],{}," is a broken layer at 4500 ft.",[23,816,817,828],{},[26,818,819],{},[29,820,821,823,825],{},[32,822,706],{},[32,824,37],{},[32,826,827],{},"Coverage",[48,829,830,843,856,869],{},[29,831,832,837,840],{},[53,833,834],{},[522,835,836],{},"FEW",[53,838,839],{},"few",[53,841,842],{},"1 to 2 eighths",[29,844,845,850,853],{},[53,846,847],{},[522,848,849],{},"SCT",[53,851,852],{},"scattered",[53,854,855],{},"3 to 4 eighths",[29,857,858,863,866],{},[53,859,860],{},[522,861,862],{},"BKN",[53,864,865],{},"broken",[53,867,868],{},"5 to 7 eighths",[29,870,871,876,879],{},[53,872,873],{},[522,874,875],{},"OVC",[53,877,878],{},"overcast",[53,880,881],{},"8 eighths",[11,883,884,887,888,891,892,895,896,899],{},[522,885,886],{},"CB"," or ",[522,889,890],{},"TCU"," attached to a layer means cumulonimbus or towering cumulus. ",[522,893,894],{},"VV002"," is a vertical visibility of 200 ft, used when fog or something similar hides the sky. ",[522,897,898],{},"NSC"," means no significant cloud.",[11,901,902],{},"For flight planning the cloud ceiling matters most. It's the lowest layer reported as BKN or OVC. In the example it's at 4500 ft, and the FEW clouds at 3000 ft don't count.",[330,904,906],{"id":905},"temperature-and-dew-point","Temperature and dew point",[11,908,909,911,912,915],{},[522,910,603],{}," means an air temperature of 17 °C and a dew point of 9 °C. Below zero is written with an M, so ",[522,913,914],{},"M02"," is minus 2 °C. When the two values are close, the air is very humid, and fog or low cloud becomes more likely.",[330,917,919],{"id":918},"pressure","Pressure",[11,921,922,924,925,205],{},[522,923,613],{}," is the QNH in hectopascals, the air pressure converted to sea level. Pilots set their altimeter to this value. In the US you'll see an A with inches of mercury instead, for example ",[522,926,927],{},"A2992",[330,929,931],{"id":930},"trend","Trend",[11,933,934,935,937,938,941,942,945],{},"Many airfields end the report with a forecast for the next two hours. ",[522,936,623],{}," means no significant change is expected. ",[522,939,940],{},"BECMG"," announces a lasting change and ",[522,943,944],{},"TEMPO"," a temporary one.",[330,947,949],{"id":948},"cavok","CAVOK",[11,951,952,953,955],{},"Sometimes visibility, weather and cloud are replaced by ",[522,954,949],{},", short for Ceiling and Visibility OK. It means at least 10 km visibility, no cloud below 5000 ft or the highest minimum sector altitude, no cumulonimbus or towering cumulus and no significant weather.",[15,957,959],{"id":958},"two-more-examples","Two more examples",[11,961,962],{},"These reports are made up as well. First, a foggy morning:",[515,964,967],{"className":965,"code":966,"language":520,"meta":260},[518],"METAR EDDP 290650Z 00000KT 0800 FG VV002 08\u002F08 Q1021 BECMG 3000 BR\n",[522,968,966],{"__ignoreMap":260},[11,970,971],{},"No wind, 800 metres visibility, fog and a vertical visibility of 200 ft. Temperature and dew point are equal, so the air is saturated. The trend says the fog should thin to mist with 3000 metres visibility within two hours. On the METARMAP the airfield glows red, in the X-Ray category.",[11,973,974],{},"Then a thundery afternoon:",[515,976,979],{"className":977,"code":978,"language":520,"meta":260},[518],"METAR EDDP 291520Z 27018G32KT 6000 TSRA BKN025CB 22\u002F17 Q1009 TEMPO 3000 +TSRA\n",[522,980,978],{"__ignoreMap":260},[11,982,983],{},"Wind from 270 degrees at 18 knots with gusts up to 32 knots, 6 km visibility, a thunderstorm with rain and a broken layer with cumulonimbus at 2500 ft. Heavy thundery rain with 3 km visibility is expected at times. Visibility and ceiling put this in Delta, so the LED glows yellow. Because the wind is above the default limit of 15 knots, it blinks as well.",[15,985,987],{"id":986},"from-metar-to-colour","From METAR to colour",[11,989,990,991,994],{},"The METARMAP takes the visibility and the cloud ceiling from each METAR and assigns one of the five GAFOR categories. In the first example that's more than 10 km visibility and a ceiling at 4500 ft. Charlie would need another 500 ft, so the result is Oscar. Our article on ",[147,992,993],{"href":279},"GAFOR colours"," explains exactly where the limits lie.",[230,996],{":handles":232},[217,998,999],{},[11,1000,1001],{},"A METAR describes the weather at the time it was observed. Flight preparation also needs forecasts such as the TAF and a weather briefing.",[15,1003,236],{"id":235},[238,1005,1006,1012,1018,1024],{},[241,1007,1009],{"label":1008},"What does METAR mean?",[11,1010,1011],{},"METAR stands for Meteorological Aerodrome Report, an airfield's routine weather report. It gives wind, visibility, weather, cloud, temperature, dew point and pressure in a fixed order.",[241,1013,1015],{"label":1014},"What's the difference between a METAR and a TAF?",[11,1016,1017],{},"A METAR describes the weather that was just observed. A TAF is a forecast for the airfield covering the next 9 to 30 hours, and it uses the same abbreviations.",[241,1019,1021],{"label":1020},"How often is a METAR issued?",[11,1022,1023],{},"At most larger airfields every 30 or 60 minutes. If the weather changes suddenly and significantly, a special report called SPECI comes out in between.",[241,1025,1027],{"label":1026},"What does CAVOK mean?",[11,1028,1029],{},"Ceiling and Visibility OK: at least 10 km visibility, no cloud below 5000 ft or the highest minimum sector altitude, no cumulonimbus or towering cumulus and no significant weather.",{"title":260,"searchDepth":261,"depth":261,"links":1031},[1032,1033,1034,1045,1046,1047],{"id":495,"depth":261,"text":496},{"id":509,"depth":261,"text":510},{"id":632,"depth":261,"text":633,"children":1035},[1036,1037,1038,1039,1040,1041,1042,1043,1044],{"id":636,"depth":464,"text":637},{"id":643,"depth":464,"text":644},{"id":668,"depth":464,"text":40},{"id":685,"depth":464,"text":686},{"id":807,"depth":464,"text":808},{"id":905,"depth":464,"text":906},{"id":918,"depth":464,"text":919},{"id":930,"depth":464,"text":931},{"id":948,"depth":464,"text":949},{"id":958,"depth":261,"text":959},{"id":986,"depth":261,"text":987},{"id":235,"depth":261,"text":236},"Wind, visibility, cloud, temperature, pressure: how to read a METAR, with examples from a quiet afternoon to a foggy morning.",{"src":1050,"alt":1051},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fmetar-lesen.webp","A METAR for Leipzig\u002FHalle with each group underlined in colour and a line to the green LED on a map of Germany",{},{"title":1054,"description":1055},"How to Read a METAR, Explained Simply","How to read a METAR: station and time, wind, visibility, weather, cloud, temperature, QNH and trend, explained with examples and the key abbreviations.","en\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-read-a-metar","metar-reading","onn-2mArLoUEFqGLLFB2zXo0mKIXYom8AFjGmVFLdVY",1790966140781]