How To Decode a METAR Report- [Airline Pilot Tips and Practical Examples]

How to decode a metar report? This is a very common question that I get asked.

So, I decide to make a video where I help you to decode this meteorological report.

The Acronym METAR stands for Meteorological Aerodrome Report, this met report is used to get information regarding the actual weather at the selected Airport.

The METAR is issued at intervals of 30 or 60 minutes depending on the airport traffic.

It is important to understand that the structure of the METAR doesn't change, so, once you understand how to read one of this met report you will be able to read them all.

However, what changes, depending on the weather, are the codes within the METAR.

If you find a code that you don't know you can leave a comment below and I will help you out.

Depending on where you are there might be some differences within the met report.

For example, in Europe, the visibility is expressed in meter while in the USA is expressed in Statute Miles.

How do we read a Metar? I divided the metar into 9 sections:
1: Airport Codes/ Location,
2: Type of report,
3: Day of the month and Time (UTC) of the observation,
4: Wind (True) direction and Intensity in Knots. (VRB, G, V, CALM)
5: Visibility in meters (USA visibility in Statute Miles).
6: Cloud coverage (FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC).
7: Temperature/Dew Point.
8: QNH. (USA A2992).
9: No significant changes for 2 h period.

By the end of this video, you will be able to read a Metar and I will give some useful tips I learned after reading metar reports for the last 15 years.

Click on the below video if you want to know more about Temperature and dew point:

If you want to more about QNH watch the following video:

If want to know what CAVOK means watch the youtube video below:

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#PILOTCLIMB
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Disclaimer:
THIS VIDEO IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY.
NOT FOR REAL-LIFE OPERATIONS.
PLEASE REFER TO THE OFFICIAL MANUAL AND DOCUMENTATION.
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[chrisamurao]

Hi Captain ive learn a lot from your video keep it up

[PILOTCLIMB]

Comment on the video with your questions and I will help you out!! Happy landings!!

[peterlazuric]

Great video. I thought this video would be difficult and boring to watch, but the way you presented it made it easy, informative and fun to view. Thank you.

[karimgaffar]

Great content keep it up 👍
Appreciate your hard work Cpt
Any logic/ reason behind winds being reported to true north not magnetic north ?

[ahmedsmart]

Hello Captain and thanks for the Metar.
I watched the complete video.

I have some questions:

1) when the wind direction varietes like in GMMX, how does it affect the aircraft?
Lets say, that most of the time wind comes from 260 but on final approach you see that the wind changes the direction.
Is this dangerous and what do you have to do?

2) When you have higher pressure like in EGLL of 1022hpa, how does it affect humans physically?
I know that the higher pressure means better performance.
Does it also mean that the aircraft reacts better during a goaround or during deceleration by using the reversers?
Are there other advantages or disadvantages? Like drag due to higher airdensity?

3)
Are gusts winds which come vertically?

4) the cloud informations are given for the clouds over the airport.
For which radius around the airport the cloud informations are valid?

If the clouds are 4500ft high for example and the airport has 1000t elevation, are the clouds 5500ft above MSL?

5) Are temperatures in the Metar sometimes given as Farenheit?

6) the winddirection is in true heading.

Can you give examples for correction to magnetic heading, please?