Abbreviations
Check the meaning of the abbreviations used in our aviation forecasts and warnings. Click on any letter to find the abbreviation you need.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
- AC
Altocumulus
- AD
Aerodrome
- AGL
Above ground level
- AIMMS
Aircraft Integrated Meteorological Measurement System
- AMD
Amend or amended
- AMSL
Above mean sea level
- AOD
Aerosol Optical Depth
- APR
April
- AS
Altostratus
- ASR
Altimeter setting region
ATD
Arrival Time Difference
- AUG
August
- AUTO
Automated METAR (produced with CAA approval outside normal operational hours)
B
- BASE
Cloud base
- BCFG
Fog patches
- BECMG
Becoming
- BKN
Broken (5 to 7 oktas)
- BL
Blowing
- BLW
Below
- BR
Mist
- BTN
Between
C
- C
Degrees Celsius
- CAA
Civil Aviation Authority
- CAT
Clear Air Turbulence
- CAPS
Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer
- CAVOK
Ceiling and visibility OK
- CB
Cumulonimbus
- CC
Cirrocumulus
- CI
Cirrus
- CIT
Near or over large towns
- CLD
Cloud
- CONC
Concentration
- COR
Correction
- COT
At the coast
- CS
Cirrostratus
- CSV
Comma Separated Value
- CU
Cumulus
D
- D
Downward (tendency in RVR in Civil observations)
- DEC
December
- DEG
Degrees
- DfT
Department for Transport
- DP
Dew point temperature
- DR
Low drifting (followed by DU, SA or SN)
- DS
Duststorm
- DU
Dust (in suspension)
- DUC
Dense upper cloud
- DZ
Drizzle
E
- E
East or easterly
- ENE
East-north-east or east-north-easterly
- ENE
East-north-east or east-north-easterly
- ESE
East-south-east or east-south-easterly
- EMBD
Embedded
- ETA
Estimated time of arrival
- ETD
Estimated time of departure
- EUR
European
F
- FAAM
Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurement
- FC
Funnel cloud
- FCST
Forecast
- FEB
February
- FEW
Few (1 or 2 oktas)
- FG
Fog
- FIR
Flight Information Region
- FL
Flight Level
- FM...
From (followed by time weather change is to begin)
- FPM
Feet per minute
- FRQ
Frequent
- FT
Feet
- FU
Smoke
- FZ
Freezing (followed by DZ, FG or RA)
G
- G
Gust
- GEN
Generally
- GND
Ground
- GR
Hail (5 mm or more in diameter)
- GS
Small hail or snow pellets
H
- H
High pressure centre
- HPA
Hectopascals (= Millibar)
- HVY
Heavy
- HZ
Haze
I
- IAVWOPSG
International Airways Volcano Watch Operations Group
- IC
Ice crystals (diamond dust)
- ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization
- ICE
Icing
- IMO
Icelandic Meteorological Office
- INS
Inches (on F2309)
- INTSF
Intensifying
- IR
Infrared
- IRVR
Instrumented RVR
- ISOL
Isolated
- IUGG
International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics
J
- JAN
January
- JTST
Jet stream
- JUL
July
- JUN
June
K
- KM
Kilometres
- KMH
Kilometres per hour
- KT
Knots
L
- L
Low pressure centre
- LAN
Inland (or over land)
- LCA
Locally
- LCBR
Laser Cloud Base Recorder
- LIDAR
LIght Detecting And Ranging
- LSQ
Line squall
- LV
Light & variable (relating to wind)
- LYR
Layer(s), layered
M
- M
Less than 0°C (temperature)
- M
Less than the lowest reportable value (RVR)
- M
Metres
- MAR
March
- MAX
Maximum
- MB
Millibars
- METAR
Aviation routine weather report
- MetUM
Met Office Unified Model
- MI
Shallow (followed by FG)
- MNM
Minimum
- MOCCA
Met Office Civil Contingencies Aircraft
- MOD
Moderate
- MoU
Memorandum of Understanding
- MON
Above or covering mountains
- MPS
Metres per second
- MS
Minus
- MSL
Mean sea level
- MTW
Mountain waves
N
- N
North or northerly
- NAME
Numerical Atmospheric-dispersion Modelling Environment
- NAT
North Atlantic
- NATS
National Air Traffic Services
- NC
No change
- NCAS
National Centre for Atmospheric Science
- NCD
No Cloud Detected (on AUTO METARs only)
- NDV
No Directional Variation (on AUTO METARs only)
- NE
North-east or north-easterly
- NERC
Natural Environment Research Council
- NIL
None
- NM
Nautical miles
- NMS
National Meteorological Services
- NNE
North-north-east or north-north-easterly
- NNW
North-north-west or north-north-westerly
- NOSIG
No significant change expected
- NOTAM
Notice containing important aeronautical information to all personnel concerned with flight operations
- NOV
November
- NS
Nimbostratus
- NSC
No significant cloud
- NSW
No significant weather
- NW
North-west or north-westerly
O
- OCNL
Occasional, occasionally
- OCT
October
- OVC
Overcast (8 oktas)
P
- P
Greater than the highest reportable value (RVR)
- PL
Ice pellets
- PO
Dust devils
- POLY
Polygon
- PRFG
Fog banks
- PROB30
30% chance
- PROB40
40% chance
- PS
Plus
- PSYS
Pressure System(s)
Q
- QFE
Atmospheric pressure at specified datum
- QNE
Aerodrome height expressed in pressure altitude
- QNH
Altimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground
R
- RA
Rain
- RADAR
RAdio Detection And Ranging
- RMK
Remarks
- RVR
Runway visual range
- RWY
Runway
S
- S
South or southerly
- SA
Sand (in suspension)
- SC
Stratocumulus
- SCT
Scattered (3 or 4 oktas)
- SE
South-east or south-easterly
- SEA
At sea
- SEP
September
- SEV
Severe
- SFC
Surface
- SG
Snow grains
- SH...
Shower (followed by RA, SN, PL, GR, GS or combinations thereof)
- SIG
Significant
- SKC
Sky clear
- SN
Snow (flakes)
- SPECI
Aviation special weather report
- SQ
Squall
- SS
Sandstorm
- SSE
South-south-east or south-south-easterly
- SSW
South-south-west or south-south-westerly
- ST
Stratus
- STNR
Stationary
- SW
South-west or south-westerly
T
- T
Temperature
- TAF
Terminal aerodrome forecast
- TCU
Towering cumulus
- TEMPO
Temporary, temporarily
- TL
Until
- TOP
Cloud top
- TROP
Tropopause
- TS
Thunderstorm (may also be followed by RA, SN, PL, GR, GS or combinations thereof)
- TURB
Turbulence
U
- U
Upward (tendency in RVR)
- UP
Unidentified Precipitation (on AUTO METARs only)
- UTC
Universal Time Constant/ Co-ordinated Universal Time
- UV
Ultraviolet
V
- VA
Volcanic ash
- VAA
Volcanic Ash Advisory
- VAAC
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre
- VAAG
Volcanic Ash Advisory Group
- VAG
Volcanic Ash Graphic
- VAL
In valleys
- VAORG
Volcanic Ash Observations Review Group
- VASAG
Volcanic Ash Scientific Advisory Group
- VC...
In vicinity of aerodrome (followed by FG, FC, SH, PO, BLDU, BLSA, BLSN)
- VIS
Visibility
- VOLCEX
Volcanic Ash Exercise
- VRB
Variable
- VSP
Vertical speed
- VT
Validity Time
W
- W
West or westerly
- WAFC
World Area Forecast Centre
- WDSPR
Widespread
- WNW
West-north-west or west-north-westerly
- WRNG
Warning
- WS
Wind shear
- WSPD
Wind speed
- WSW
West-south-west or west-south-westerly
- WX
Weather
Z
- Z
Co-ordinated Universal Time
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