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METEOROLOGY

1. METAR & TAF

1.1. De codification
1.2. Legend of abbreviations

2. SigWx
2.1. Chart
2.2. Legend of symbols

3. Winds
3.1. Chart
3.2. Legend of symbols

4. Minimum WX for dispatch

4.1. ILS Cat I

5. Flight Dangerous Phenomena

5.1. Thunderstorm
5.2. Ice
5.3. Turbulence
5.4. Wind shear
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1. METAR & TAF

1.1. De codification

METAR LIRF 171550Z 19009KT 9999 SCT018 BKN050 14/09 Q1024 NOSIG
TAF LIRF 171100Z 1712/1818 VRB06KT 8000 BKN030 TEMPO 1803/1812 4000
RA
TAF LIRF 170500Z 1706/1812 VRB05KT 3000 BR FEW018 TEMPO 1706/1707
0800 BCFG BECMG 1707/1709 7000 BECMG 1710/1712 23012KT TEMPO
1721/1806 RA BECMG 1806/1809 04008KT

METAR

LIRF: Aerodrome ICAO Code

171550Z: Day 17(current month) 15:50 Zulu Time

19009KT: 190 Degrees 09 Knots

9999: Visibility over 10km

SCT018: Scattered at 1800ft

BKN050: Broken at 5000ft

14/09: Temperature 14°C / Dew Point 09°C

Q1024: QNH 1024HPa

NOSIG: No significant changes

TAF

LIRF: Aerodrome ICAO Code

171100Z: Day 17(current month) 11:00 Zulu Time

1712/1718: Valid between 12:00 and 18:00 Zulu of day 17

VRB06KT: Variable 06 knots

8000: Visibility 8000m

BKN030: Broken at 3000ft

TEMPO 1803/1812: Temporarily between 03:00 and 12:00 Zulu

4000: Visibility 4000m

RA: Rain
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1.2. Legend of Abbreviation

Abbreviation Meaning
SKC Sky clear
CLR No clouds below 12.000 ft
NSC (NIL) No significant cloud
FEW 1-2 Eights
SCT 3-4 Eights
BKN 5-7 Eights
OVC 8 Eights
VV Vertical Visibility if it’s impossible to see the clouds (fog, exc)

Abbreviation Meaning Abbreviation Meaning

MI Mince PR Partial
BC Bancs DR Low drifting
BL Blowing SH Shower
TS Thunderstorm FZ Freezing
RA Rain DZ Drizzle
SN Snow SG Snow grains
IC Ice Crystals PL Ice pellets
GR Hail GS Small Hail
UP Unknown Precipitation WS Wind shear
FG Fog VA Volcanic Ash
BR Mist HZ Haze
DU Widespread Dust FU Smoke
SA Sand PY Spray
SQ Squall PO Dust or Sand Whirls
DS Dust storm SS Sandstorm
FC Funnel Cloud CB Cumulonimbus

Abbreviation Meaning
R17 RWY 17 (number specify the orientation of the RWY)
EMBD Embed
ISLD Isolated
OBSC Obscured
FCST Forecast
NOSIG No significant changes
CAVOK Clear and Visibility OK
PROB30 Probability 30%
TEMPO Temporality
BECMG Becoming

http://heras-gilsanz.com/manuel/
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2. SigWX
2.1. Charts
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2.2. Legend of symbols

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3. Winds
3.1. Chart
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3.2. Legend
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4. Minimum WX for dispatch

1.1. ILS CAT I

Approach category Decision height Runway Visual Range (RVR)

I 200ft 550m

Take-Off category Runway Visual Range (RVR)

I 400m
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5. Dangerous Meteorological Phenomena

5.1. Thunderstorm
The thunderstorm is the most dangerous weather phenomena for the safety of a flight. We find
inside (ice, turbulence and lighting) and under (turbulence, wind shear and heavy precipitation)
a thunderstorm all the other dangerous phenomena.

The life of a thunderstorm is divided in three different stages:

 Cumulus stage:
When warm, moist air moves upward in an updraft, cumulus clouds may form in the
atmosphere. The moisture in the air condenses into water droplets as it rises. The
cloud will continue to grow as long as warm air from below continues to rise.

 Mature Stage:
As the cumulus cloud continues to grow, the tiny water droplets, which make up the
cloud, grow up and become heavy. Raindrops start to fall through the cloud when the
rising air can no longer hold them up. Meanwhile, cool dry air flows downward in the
cloud, called a downdraft, pulling water downward as rain. With an updraft,
downdraft and rain, the cloud is now called a cumulonimbus cloud and the cycling of
air up and down is called a thunderstorm cell.

 Dissipating stage:
When the downdrafts in the cloud become stronger than the updraft, the storm starts
to weaken. Since warm moist air can no longer rise, cloud droplets can no longer form.
The storm dies out with light rain as the cloud disappears from bottom to top. The
whole process takes about one hour for an ordinary thunderstorm. Severe
thunderstorms like supercells and squall lines are much larger, more powerful, and last
for several hours.
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5.2. Ice
The ice phenomena is very dangerous for the safety of the flight.
The ice modify the leading edge of the wings and the engines cowl and fan blades, increasing
the weight of the aircraft and causing the separation of the air flow and compromising the lift
of the wings. These can bring the aircraft to stall, in particular at low speed during take-off and
landing.
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The ice can be formed on the ground, inside a storm or in clear air. It’s very important to
prevent its formation on the ground using different type of chemical product (de/anti icing)
There are three different type of ice:

 Clear ice: is often clear and smooth. Super cooled water droplets, or freezing rain, strike a
surface but do not freeze instantly. Often "horns" or protrusions are formed and project
into the airflow. It’s the most dangerous type of ice. (between 0 and -10 °C)
 Rime ice: is rough and opaque, formed by super cooled drops rapidly freezing on impact.
Forming mostly along an airfoil’s stagnation point, it generally conforms to the shape of
the airfoil. ((between 0 and -25 °C)
 Mixed ice: is a combination of clear and rime ice. (between -10 and -20 °C)
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5.3. Turbulence:
The turbulence is a rapid variation of the direction and intensity of the wind;
There are four classes ICAO:
 Light: momentary and light variations of trim and altitude of the aircraft
 Moderate: more intense variations, aircraft still under control
 Heavy: heavy and sudden variations, Aircraft momentary without control
 Extreme: violence variations, Aircraft without control, possible damages of the
aircraft structure

The origins of the turbulence are three:

 Convective: updraft and downdraft of air
 Mechanic:
 little obstacle
 orographic
 airflows with different direction and/or intensity
 clear air turbulence
 Wake: turbulence making from an airplane/helicopter that pass through the air
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5.4. Wind Shear:

The wind shear is a variation of the direction/intensity of the wind in horizontal or vertical
distances.

Strong outflow from thunderstorms causes rapid changes in the three-dimensional wind
velocity just above ground level. Initially, this outflow causes a headwind that increases
airspeed, which normally causes a pilot to reduce engine power if they are unaware of the wind
shear. As the aircraft passes into the region of the downdraft, the localized headwind
diminishes, reducing the aircraft's airspeed and increasing its sink rate. Then, when the aircraft
passes through the other side of the downdraft, the headwind becomes a tailwind, reducing lift
generated by the wings, and leaving the aircraft in a low-power, low-speed descent. This can
lead to an accident if the aircraft is too low to effect a recovery before ground contact.