METAR and TAF decoder
Read any airport's METAR and TAF in plain English.
Flight categories
- VFR Above 3,000 ft and 8 km
- MVFR 1,000 to 3,000 ft or 5 to 8 km
- IFR 500 to 999 ft or 1.6 to 5 km
- LIFR Below 500 ft or 1.6 km
Straight answers
What is a METAR?
A routine aerodrome weather report, issued every half hour or hour at airports with a weather station. It gives the wind, visibility, weather, cloud, temperature, dew point and pressure as observed at the time in the report, in UTC.
What is a TAF?
A terminal aerodrome forecast: the expected wind, visibility, weather and cloud at an airport over the next 9 to 30 hours. Changes are shown with FM (from), BECMG (becoming), TEMPO (temporarily) and PROB30 or PROB40 (a 30% or 40% chance).
What do VFR, MVFR, IFR and LIFR mean?
They are flight categories from the ceiling and visibility. VFR is a ceiling above 3,000 ft and visibility above 5 statute miles; MVFR is marginal; IFR is a ceiling below 1,000 ft or visibility below 3 miles; LIFR is a ceiling below 500 ft or visibility below 1 mile. They are a quick guide, not the legal VMC minima for your flight.
Where does the weather come from?
From the Aviation Weather Center, which publishes METARs and TAFs from airports around the world. A new report shows here within a minute of being published.
Why does my airfield have no METAR?
Only airports with an official weather station issue METARs, and fewer still issue TAFs. For a strip without one, look up the nearest airport that has them and allow for the local differences.
Is this an official weather briefing?
No. It is a quick way to read the latest reports. Get an official briefing and check NOTAMs before you fly.
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