Abbreviations

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)

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B

• BASE

  Cloud base

• BCFG

  Fog patches

• BECMG

  Becoming

• BKN

  Broken (5 to 7 oktas)

• BL

  Blowing

• BLW

  Below

• BR

  Mist

• BTN

  Between

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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G

• G

  Gust

• GEN

  Generally

• GND

  Ground

• GR

  Hail (5 mm or more in diameter)

• GS

  Small hail or snow pellets

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H

• H

  High pressure centre

• HPA

  Hectopascals (= Millibar)

• HVY

  Heavy

• HZ

  Haze

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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

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J

• JAN

  January

• JTST

  Jet stream

• JUL

  July

• JUN

  June

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K

• KM

  Kilometres

• KMH

  Kilometres per hour

• KT

  Knots

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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

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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

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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

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O

• OCNL

  Occasional, occasionally

• OCT

  October

• OVC

  Overcast (8 oktas)

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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)

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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

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R

• RA

  Rain

• RADAR

  RAdio Detection And Ranging

• RMK

  Remarks

• RVR

  Runway visual range

• RWY

  Runway

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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

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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

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U

• U

  Upward (tendency in RVR)

• UP

  Unidentified Precipitation (on AUTO METARs only)

• UTC

  Universal Time Constant/ Co-ordinated Universal Time

• UV

  Ultraviolet

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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

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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

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Z

• Z

  Co-ordinated Universal Time

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