How to Read an Airport METAR Weather Report
Last updated: April 2026
A METAR is a standardized weather observation report issued by airports worldwide. Published every 30 to 60 minutes according to ICAO Annex 3 standards, METARs encode wind, visibility, clouds, temperature, and pressure into a compact text format. Pilots use them to assess conditions before takeoff and landing. This guide decodes each section.
Example METAR
EGLL 161350Z 27015G25KT 9999 FEW040 BKN080 18/12 Q1015
Read the station identifier
The first four letters are the ICAO airport code. In our example, EGLL is London Heathrow. Other examples: KJFK (New York JFK), LFPG (Paris CDG), OMDB (Dubai). You can look up any airport's ICAO code on aviation reference sites or in the ICAO Location Indicators document (Doc 7910).
Read the date and time
161350Z means the 16th day of the month at 13:50 UTC (Zulu time). METARs always use UTC regardless of local timezone. The Z suffix confirms this. If the current month is April, this observation was taken on April 16th at 13:50 UTC.
Decode wind direction and speed
27015G25KT breaks down as: wind from 270 degrees (west), steady at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The direction is where the wind comes from, measured in degrees from true north. VRB means variable direction. 00000KT means calm. Gusts (G) indicate the peak speed exceeds the steady speed by 10+ knots.
Read the visibility
9999 means visibility is 10 kilometers or more (the maximum reported value in the ICAO format). Values are in meters: 0800 = 800 meters, 3000 = 3 km. In the US, visibility uses statute miles (e.g., 10SM, 3SM, 1/2SM). Lower visibility values may be followed by weather codes like FG (fog), RA (rain), SN (snow), or BR (mist).
Decode cloud layers
FEW040 BKN080 means a few clouds at 4,000 feet AGL and broken clouds at 8,000 feet AGL. The coverage codes: FEW (1-2 oktas), SCT (scattered, 3-4 oktas), BKN (broken, 5-7 oktas), OVC (overcast, 8 oktas). Altitude is in hundreds of feet above ground level. CLR or SKC means no clouds below 12,000 feet. CB or TCU after the altitude indicates cumulonimbus (thunderstorm) or towering cumulus clouds.
Read temperature and dew point
18/12 means the air temperature is 18 degrees Celsius and the dew point is 12 degrees Celsius. The dew point indicates moisture content. When the temperature and dew point are within 2-3 degrees, fog or low cloud formation becomes likely. An M prefix indicates a negative value: M02/M05 means -2C temperature, -5C dew point.
Read the altimeter setting (QNH)
Q1015 means the barometric pressure adjusted to sea level is 1015 hectopascals. In the US, this appears as A followed by inches of mercury (e.g., A2992 = 29.92 inHg). Standard pressure is 1013.25 hPa (29.92 inHg). Significant deviations from standard indicate weather systems: low pressure often means unsettled weather, high pressure typically means stable conditions.
This guide is for informational purposes only. METAR interpretation for flight operations requires professional meteorological training. Always consult official sources for authoritative information.