Met Office codes
Decode a METAR or TAF — search by code or word, or jump by letter.
A
ACAltocumulus
ADAerodrome
AGLAbove ground level
AIMMSAircraft Integrated Meteorological Measurement System
AMDAmend or amended
AMSLAbove mean sea level
AODAerosol Optical Depth
APRApril
ASAltostratus
ASRAltimeter setting region
ATDArrival Time Difference
AUGAugust
AUTOAutomated METAR (produced with CAA approval outside normal operational hours)
B
BASECloud base
BCFGFog patches
BECMGBecoming
BKNBroken (5 to 7 oktas)
BLBlowing
BLWBelow
BRMist
BTNBetween
C
CDegrees Celsius
CAACivil Aviation Authority
CATClear Air Turbulence
CAPSCloud and Aerosol Spectrometer
CAVOKCeiling and visibility OK
CBCumulonimbus
CCCirrocumulus
CICirrus
CITNear or over large towns
CLDCloud
CONCConcentration
CORCorrection
COTAt the coast
CSCirrostratus
CSVComma Separated Value
CUCumulus
D
DDownward (tendency in RVR in Civil observations)
DECDecember
DEGDegrees
DfTDepartment for Transport
DPDew point temperature
DRLow drifting (followed by DU, SA or SN)
DSDuststorm
DUDust (in suspension)
DUCDense upper cloud
DZDrizzle
E
EEast or easterly
ENEEast-north-east or east-north-easterly
ESEEast-south-east or east-south-easterly
EMBDEmbedded
ETAEstimated time of arrival
ETDEstimated time of departure
EUREuropean
F
FAAMFacility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurement
FCFunnel cloud
FCSTForecast
FEBFebruary
FEWFew (1 or 2 oktas)
FGFog
FIRFlight Information Region
FLFlight Level
FM…From (followed by time weather change is to begin)
FPMFeet per minute
FRQFrequent
FTFeet
FUSmoke
FZFreezing (followed by DZ, FG or RA)
G
GGust
GENGenerally
GNDGround
GRHail (5 mm or more in diameter)
GSSmall hail or snow pellets
H
HHigh pressure centre
HPAHectopascals (= Millibar)
HVYHeavy
HZHaze
I
IAVWOPSGInternational Airways Volcano Watch Operations Group
ICIce crystals (diamond dust)
ICAOInternational Civil Aviation Organization
ICEIcing
IMOIcelandic Meteorological Office
INSInches (on F2309)
INTSFIntensifying
IRInfrared
IRVRInstrumented RVR
ISOLIsolated
IUGGInternational Union of Geodesy and Geophysics
J
JANJanuary
JTSTJet stream
JULJuly
JUNJune
K
KMKilometres
KMHKilometres per hour
KTKnots
L
LLow pressure centre
LANInland (or over land)
LCALocally
LCBRLaser Cloud Base Recorder
LIDARLIght Detecting And Ranging
LSQLine squall
LVLight & variable (relating to wind)
LYRLayer(s), layered
M
MLess than 0°C (temperature)
MLess than the lowest reportable value (RVR)
MMetres
MARMarch
MAXMaximum
MBMillibars
METARAviation routine weather report
MetUMMet Office Unified Model
MIShallow (followed by FG)
MNMMinimum
MOCCAMet Office Civil Contingencies Aircraft
MODModerate
MoUMemorandum of Understanding
MONAbove or covering mountains
MPSMetres per second
MSMinus
MSLMean sea level
MTWMountain waves
N
NNorth or northerly
NAMENumerical Atmospheric-dispersion Modelling Environment
NATNorth Atlantic
NATSNational Air Traffic Services
NCNo change
NCASNational Centre for Atmospheric Science
NCDNo Cloud Detected (on AUTO METARs only)
NDVNo Directional Variation (on AUTO METARs only)
NENorth-east or north-easterly
NERCNatural Environment Research Council
NILNone
NMNautical miles
NMSNational Meteorological Services
NNENorth-north-east or north-north-easterly
NNWNorth-north-west or north-north-westerly
NOSIGNo significant change expected
NOTAMNotice containing important aeronautical information to all personnel concerned with flight operations
NOVNovember
NSNimbostratus
NSCNo significant cloud
NSWNo significant weather
NWNorth-west or north-westerly
O
OCNLOccasional, occasionally
OCTOctober
OVCOvercast (8 oktas)
P
PGreater than the highest reportable value (RVR)
PLIce pellets
PODust devils
POLYPolygon
PRFGFog banks
PROB3030% chance
PROB4040% chance
PSPlus
PSYSPressure System(s)
Q
QFEAtmospheric pressure at specified datum
QNEAerodrome height expressed in pressure altitude
QNHAltimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground
R
RARain
RADARRAdio Detection And Ranging
RMKRemarks
RVRRunway visual range
RWYRunway
S
SSouth or southerly
SASand (in suspension)
SCStratocumulus
SCTScattered (3 or 4 oktas)
SESouth-east or south-easterly
SEAAt sea
SEPSeptember
SEVSevere
SFCSurface
SGSnow grains
SH…Shower (followed by RA, SN, PL, GR, GS or combinations thereof)
SIGSignificant
SKCSky clear
SNSnow (flakes)
SPECIAviation special weather report
SQSquall
SSSandstorm
SSESouth-south-east or south-south-easterly
SSWSouth-south-west or south-south-westerly
STStratus
STNRStationary
SWSouth-west or south-westerly
T
TTemperature
TAFTerminal aerodrome forecast
TCUTowering cumulus
TEMPOTemporary, temporarily
TLUntil
TOPCloud top
TROPTropopause
TSThunderstorm (may also be followed by RA, SN, PL, GR, GS or combinations thereof)
TURBTurbulence
U
UUpward (tendency in RVR)
UPUnidentified Precipitation (on AUTO METARs only)
UTCUniversal Time Constant / Co-ordinated Universal Time
UVUltraviolet
V
VAVolcanic ash
VAAVolcanic Ash Advisory
VAACVolcanic Ash Advisory Centre
VAAGVolcanic Ash Advisory Group
VAGVolcanic Ash Graphic
VALIn valleys
VAORGVolcanic Ash Observations Review Group
VASAGVolcanic Ash Scientific Advisory Group
VC…In vicinity of aerodrome (followed by FG, FC, SH, PO, BLDU, BLSA, BLSN)
VISVisibility
VOLCEXVolcanic Ash Exercise
VRBVariable
VSPVertical speed
VTValidity Time
W
WWest or westerly
WAFCWorld Area Forecast Centre
WDSPRWidespread
WNWWest-north-west or west-north-westerly
WRNGWarning
WSWind shear
WSPDWind speed
WSWWest-south-west or west-south-westerly
WXWeather
Z
ZCo-ordinated Universal Time
Official sources
Published by the CAA. The CAP 413 PDF is Edition 23 (Nov 2020) — our revision tracks the Edition 24 changes; always defer to the current edition on the CAA site.
Source: Met Office aviation weather abbreviations (METAR/TAF decode). Codes are stable but worth re-checking against the Met Office list periodically.