| Aviation weather product | Height reference |
|
TAF VOLMET |
100s of feet above aerodrome level |
| AAW | Feet above mean sea level |
| GNZSIGWX | Flight levels |
| GRAFOR | 100s of feet above mean sea level |
| SIGMET | Feet above mean sea level up to 10,000 ft and flight levels at and above FL100 |
| VAA | Flight levels |
| ROFOR | Flight levels |
| SIGWX charts | Flight levels |
| WIND/TEMP charts | Flight levels |
| SATPIX | Flight levels |
| TC advisory | Flight levels |
| SWX advisory | Flight levels (indicated for radiation effects only) |
| Weather element | Unit |
| Temperature | Degrees celsius |
| Pressure | Hectopascals (hPa) |
| TAF | Within 8 km radius of the aerodrome reference point. |
| METAR/SPECI METAR AUTO |
Within 8 km radius of the aerodrome reference point. When the term Vicinity (VC) is used this applies to the area within an 8 to 16 km radius of the aerodrome reference point |
| AAW | Within the named area, eg, TM (Tamaki) |
| GNZSIGWX GRAFOR |
New Zealand (NZZC) FIR |
| SIGMET | New Zealand (NZZC) and Auckland Oceanic (NZZO) FIRs |
| ROFOR | Specific route(s) and levels indicated in a ROFOR |
| HI-Level SIGWX charts | Within specific geographical areas and for the airspace between FL250 and FL630 |
| Mid-Level SIGWX charts | Within specific geographical areas and for the airspace between FL100 and FL250 |
| WIND/TEMP charts | Specific geographical areas and Flight Level noted on the charts |
| VAA, SWX advisory | Polygons with vertices defined in standard latitude and longitude format, or latitude bands defined in product reference material |
| TC advisory | Location of TC centre in standard latitude and longitude format, with associated CB cloud either in a specified distance from the TC centre or in a polygon with vertices defined in standard latitude and longitude format. |
| Product | Terminology | |
| Speed |
METAR |
Knots, with gusts indicated where they exceed the mean wind speed by 10 knots or more. *Gusts not included in AAW Calm is indicated by 00000KT |
| Direction | METAR SPECI METAR AUTO TAF VOLMET AAW |
Degrees true VRB indicates variable, eg, VRB02KT |
| Takeoff and landing reports ATIS |
Degrees magnetic | |
| Direction Variability | METAR SPECI |
When the direction varies by 60 degrees or more, the extreme directions are given, separated by the letter V, eg, 260V330 |
Prevailing Visibility is defined as the maximum visibility covering at least half of the total horizon (note: the sections of the horizon do not have to be adjoining).
| METAR AUTO | Prevailing visibility is reported in metres up to a maximum of 9999 metres. Prevailing visibilities of 10km or greater are reported as 9999. |
| TAF VOLMET |
Visibility is forecast in metres up to a maximum of 9999 metres. Visibilities of 10 km or greater are forecast as 9999. |
| Takeoff & landing reports ATIS |
Visibility is forecast in metres up to a maximum of 9999 metres. Visibilities of 10 km or greater are forecast as 9999. |
Prevailing Visibility is defined as the maximum visibility covering at least half of the total horizon (note: the sections of the horizon do not have to be adjoining).
| METAR* SPECI* METAR AUTO |
Up to 9999 metres, prevailing visibility is reported in metres, eg 3000. Prevailing visibility above 9999 metres is reported in kilometres, eg 10 km, 20 km, etc. * Where there is a marked variation in the visibility, the minimum visibility is added with a direction given, eg 7000 1200SW (where the prevailing visibility is 7000 metres). |
| TAF GRAFOR | Up to 9999 metres, visibility is forecast in metres, eg 7000. Above 9999 metres, visibility is forecast in kilometres, eg 20 km. |
| Takeoff & landing reports ATIS |
Reported in metres when the visibility is less than 5000 metres, eg 3000 m. Visibilities of 5000 metres or more are reported in kilometres, eg 5 km. |
Instrumented Runway Visual Range (IRVR) equipment has been installed at Auckland (RWY 05R/23L) and Christchurch (RWY 02/20) International Airports. The equipment consists of three transmissometers located adjacent to the Touchdown zone, the runway Mid-point, and the runway Stop-end.
| Product | Terminology | |
|---|---|---|
| RVR | METAR AUTO |
Reported when Runway Visual Range (RVR) or visibility is less than 1500 m. Is reported for the touchdown zone of the runway(s) in use. The runway designator is reported followed by the RVR, eg, R05/1400. If the RVR during the 10 minutes before the observation time shows a distinct upward or downward tendency, U for upward or D for downward is added. When it is not possible to determine the tendency N is used. When the RVR exceeds 1500 m, it is reported as P1500 and when it is less than 50 m it is reported as M0050. |
| RVR | ATIS |
RVR is broadcast on the ATIS and is advised directly to the pilot by TOWER. The Touchdown zone RVR will be reported whenever the observed value is less than 1500 m. The Mid-point and Stop-end RVR will only be reported when the observed value is: |
| Product | Cloud Type or amount | Code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Type | TAF VOLMET |
Cumulonimbus Towering Cumulus |
CB TCU* |
| METAR SPECI Takeoff & landing reports METAR AUTO ATIS |
Cumulonimbus Towering Cumulus |
CB TCU |
|
|
* Not included in VOLMET |
|||
| Note: When Cumulonimbus cloud (CB) is included in meteorological information (observations, forecasts and all weather charts), this implies that there may be associated thunderstorms and the occurrence of severe icing, turbulence, and hail. | |||
| GNZSIGWX | Cumulonimbus | CB | |
| Cloud Amount |
METAR |
Sky clear No significant cloud No cloud detected 1 - 2 oktas (Few) 3 - 4 oktas (Scattered) 5 - 7 oktas (Broken) 8 oktas (Overcast) |
SKC1 NSC2 NCD3 FEW SCT BKN OVC4 |
| GNZSIGWX GRAFOR |
TCU and CB only All Other cloud |
||
Notes:
1. Not used in TAF for NZAA, NZWN and NZCH
2. Only used in TAF for NZAA, NZWN and NZCH
3. Only used in METAR AUTO and means no cloud detected (NCD) below 10,000 ft at NZAA, NZWN and NZCH, or no cloud detected at any level for all other domestic aerodromes.
4. When the sky is obscured, or forecast to be obscured (eg, because of fog), the cloud group will be shown as VV/// (vertical visibility unavailable)
| Product | Terminology | Code |
|---|---|---|
| METAR METAR AUTO SPECI |
Corrections to reports are indicated using the code letters, eg, METAR COR. This implies that the text of the SPECI or METAR has been corrected |
COR |
Code for significant present and forecast weather at the aerodrome.
Aerodrome weather codes [PDF 143 KB]
| Product | Terminology | Meaning/description |
| TAF | AMD | Amended: as in TAF AMD |
| COR | Corrected: as in TAF COR | |
| BECMG | Used to describe changes where the meteorological conditions are expected to reach, or pass through, specified threshold values at a regular, or irregular, rate, and at an unspecified time within a period. | |
| Example BECMG 1523/1601 |
In this example, the period of time concerned is 2300 on the 15th to 0100 UTC on the 16th. | |
| FM | Used when one set of prevailing weather conditions is expected to change significantly, and more or less completely, to a different set of conditions, with the change expected to occur at the time indicated. | |
| Example FM052230 | In this example, the time of the change is 2230 UTC on the 5th. | |
| TEMPO | Used to describe expected frequent, or infrequent, temporary fluctuations in the meteorological conditions, which reach or pass specified threshold values, and last for a period of less than one hour in each instance. Such fluctuations take place sufficiently infrequently for the prevailing conditions to remain those originally forecast. | |
| Example TEMPO 0602/0607 | In this example, the temporary fluctuations are expected to occur between 0200 and 0700 UTC on the 6th. | |
| PROB | Used to indicate the probability of the occurrence of an alternative forecast element over a specified time period. | |
| Example 1: PROB30 1117/1121 0500 FG |
This example indicates that there is a 30% chance of visibility reducing to 500 m in fog between 1700 and 2100 UTC on the 11th. | |
| Example 2: PROB40 TEMPO 1402/1406 3000 +TSRA BKN018CB |
This example indicates that there is a 40% chance that temporarily between 0200 and 0600 UTC on the 14th, the visibility will reduce to 3000 m in heavy thunder-storms and rain, with broken Cumulonimbus cloud at 1800 ft above aerodrome level. | |
| GNZSIGWX |
MOD ICE |
Moderate icing Moderate turbulence Mountain waves Volcanic ash Radioactive cloud |
| GRAFOR |
SH, TS, DZ, RA, GS, GR, SN, SG, BR, FG, HZ, FU, VA, DU, SA, SQ, PO, FC, SS, DS |
Decode of the abbreviations [PDF 143 KB] |
|
NSW |
Nil Significant Weather |
| Terminology | Definition |
| Known Ice/Icing | Known ice/icing is the situation where ice formation on an aircraft is actually detected or observed. |
| Known Icing Conditions | Known icing conditions are those where a pilot would expect a substantial likelihood of ice formation on an aircraft based on all the information available to a pilot, eg, weather reports, aircraft reports, forecasts and warnings. |
AIP New Zealand Table GEN 3.5-1 Meteorological Terminology(external link) (Additional terminology applicable only to Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch aerodromes)
