METAR & TAF Decoder
Paste a METAR or TAF to read it line by line in plain English, with the flight category worked out for you.
How your report is read
Group by group, then the ceiling and visibility set the flight category.
- 1
Wind
34012G22KT
→ 340° at 12 kt
gusting 22 kt - 2
Visibility
6000
→ 6 km = 3.7 SM - 3
Ceiling
BKN040
→ 4,000 ft - 4
Flight category
4,000 ft, 3.7 SM
→ MVFR
Read more: every METAR group, flight categories and reading a TAF
A METAR is a routine airport weather report, issued every 30 or 60 minutes. A TAF is the airport's forecast, usually for the next 24 or 30 hours. Both use a short code so pilots can read the essentials at a glance. The parts always come in the same order:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OTHH | Airport (ICAO code) |
| 090900Z | Day of the month and time in UTC (Zulu) |
| 34012G22KT | Wind from 340° at 12 knots, gusting 22 |
| 6000 / 3SM | Visibility in metres, or in statute miles in the US |
| -TSRA | Weather: light thunderstorm with rain (− light, + heavy) |
| BKN040 | Cloud cover and base in hundreds of feet: broken at 4,000 ft |
| 33/17 | Temperature and dew point in °C (M means minus) |
| Q1009 / A2992 | Pressure setting in hectopascals, or inches of mercury in the US |
| NOSIG / BECMG / TEMPO | Trend for the next two hours |
Flight categories
The flight category uses the FAA definitions, based on the ceiling (the lowest broken or overcast layer) and the visibility: VFR above 3,000 ft and over 5 miles, MVFR 1,000–3,000 ft or 3–5 miles, IFR 500–999 ft or 1–3 miles, and LIFR below 500 ft or under 1 mile.
The formula
ceiling = lowest BKN or OVC layer
category = the worse of ceiling and visibility
Worked example
OTHH 090900Z 34012G22KT 6000 BKN040 33/17 Q1009 decodes as Doha, 9th at 09:00 UTC, wind from 340° at 12 knots gusting 22, visibility 6 km (3.7 statute miles) and broken cloud at 4,000 ft. The ceiling of 4,000 ft is VFR, but 3.7 miles is between 3 and 5, so the worse of the two makes it MVFR.
Reading a TAF
A TAF starts with the airport, issue time and validity (0906/1012 means from the 9th at 06:00 to the 10th at 12:00 UTC). Change groups follow: FM (from a time, a complete change), BECMG (gradually becoming), TEMPO (temporary fluctuations) and PROB30/40 (a 30 or 40% chance).
For training and general information. This decoder does not fetch live reports; always get an official briefing before flight.