METAR & TAF Lookup
Live aviation weather reports for Southampton, the Solent area and beyond • data from the NOAA/FAA Aviation Weather Center
EGHI - Southampton
Runways
| Runway | Length × Width (ft) | Surface |
|---|---|---|
| 02/20 | 5653 × 121 | H |
What Is a METAR?
METAR (Météorologique Aviation Régulière - Aviation Routine Weather Report) is the international standard format for airport weather observations, typically issued once an hour (or more often as conditions change) by both automated and human-augmented stations worldwide. TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) is the matching short-range forecast format for the same airports. Both were adopted internationally from 1996 onward, replacing the older US "SA"/"FT" codes, specifically so that observations and forecasts could be read the same way by pilots and systems anywhere in the world.
Quick Decode Key
The group-by-group layout of a typical report, based on the NOAA/NWS
quick reference guide for automated (ASOS) stations. UK & Irish stations follow the same international
groups, with two regional differences worth knowing: visibility is usually shown as a 4-digit metres value
(e.g. 9999 = 10km+) rather than statute miles, and altimeter setting is shown as Q
+ hectopascals (e.g. Q1016) rather than A + inches of mercury.
| Group | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Report type | METAR = routine hourly/half-hourly report; SPECI = unscheduled special report issued when conditions change significantly | METAR |
| Station | Four-letter ICAO identifier | EGHI |
| Date/Time | Day of month + time, always UTC, always ending in Z | 092120Z |
| Modifier | AUTO = fully automated, no human observer has reviewed/augmented it; absent = observer-augmented; COR = correction to an earlier report | AUTO |
| Wind | Direction (degrees true) + speed in knots, G + number for gusts, KT confirms knots; 00000KT = calm; a following dddVddd group shows the direction is varying | 13012G20KT 100V160 |
| Visibility | 4-digit metres (international) or miles+SM (US); 9999/"6SM+" = 10km/6mi or better | 9999 |
| Weather | Up to 3 groups: intensity (- light, none = moderate, + heavy or VC nearby) + a 2-letter phenomenon code (see table below) | -RA BR |
| Sky condition | FEW/SCT/BKN/OVC + height in hundreds of feet per layer; NCD/NSC = no cloud detected/no significant cloud (automated-station equivalent of clear skies); CAVOK replaces the visibility/weather/cloud groups entirely when conditions are good enough (10km+ vis, no cloud below 5000ft, no significant weather) | BKN015 OVC025 |
| Temperature/Dew point | Whole °C, separated by a slash; M prefix = sub-zero | 23/17 |
| Altimeter | Q + hectopascals (international) or A + inches of mercury ×100 (US) | Q1016 |
Remarks (RMK) | Extra detail beyond the main body - peak wind, pressure tendency, precipitation totals, sensor-status flags and more (see below) | RMK PK WND 20032/25 |
Common Weather & Sky Codes
| Code | Meaning | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
RA | Rain | SN | Snow |
DZ | Drizzle | SH | Showers |
TS | Thunderstorm | GR/GS | Hail / small hail |
FG | Fog | FZFG | Freezing fog |
BR | Mist | HZ | Haze |
PL/IC | Ice pellets / ice crystals | FZ (prefix) | Freezing, e.g. FZRA freezing rain |
VC | In the vicinity (nearby, not at the station) | SQ | Squall |
FEW | Few clouds (1-2 oktas) | SCT | Scattered (3-4 oktas) |
BKN | Broken (5-7 oktas) | OVC | Overcast (8 oktas) |
CLR/SKC | Clear (human-observed) | NCD/NSC | No cloud detected / no significant cloud (automated) |
VV | Vertical visibility (indefinite ceiling, e.g. thick fog) | CAVOK | Ceiling & Visibility OK |
Common Remarks (RMK) Codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
AO1 / AO2 | Automated station without / with a precipitation discriminator (can tell rain from snow) |
PK WND dddff/(hh)mm | Peak wind direction/speed and the time it occurred |
WSHFT (hh)mm | Wind shift at the given time |
SLPppp | Sea-level pressure (tenths of hPa, last 3 digits only) |
PRESRR / PRESFR | Pressure rising / falling rapidly |
Prrrr | Precipitation in the last hour (hundredths of an inch, US stations) |
TsnTTTsnTTT | Precise tenths-of-a-degree temperature/dew point (more accurate than the whole-degree figure in the main body) |
TSNO / RVRNO / PWINO / PNO | That particular sensor (thunderstorm detector / RVR / precip identifier / precip amount) isn't available right now |
$ | Maintenance check indicator - the station itself is flagging that it needs a service visit |
Adapted from the NOAA/NWS "Content of ASOS-Generated METAR" quick reference guide and the accompanying METAR/TAF abbreviations list. The full original PDF (with the complete A-Z abbreviations index) is still available here for reference.