Laurier
Williams' Australian Weather Links and News
A (very) brief introduction to the Australian
version of METAR code
METARs are METeorological Aviation Reports which
are sent in by automatic weather stations and observers at airports around the
country, usually hourly, on the hour.
SPECIs are reports of special weather conditions,
such as sudden wind or pressure changes and heavy rainfalls
The easiest way to understand the code is to look
at a few examples
YWLM SPECI YWLM 1100Z 18016KT 9999 3ST010 24/22
Q1011 RMK NEXT REPORT 1900Z
- YWLM = location code for Williamtown,
NSW. There's a list of the codes here.
- SPECI = this is a report about special
or significant weather conditions
- 1100Z = time in UTC. See here
for Australian time differences from UTC
- 18016KT = Wind is from 180 degrees (south)
averaging 16 knots
- 9999 = visibility in metres, i.e. 9999
metres or 10km
- 3ST010 = 3/8ths cloud coverage of stratus
with a base of 1000 feet. Cu = Cumulus, Cb=Cumulonimbus, Sc=Stratocumulus,
BKN = broken cloud, OVC = overcast
- 24/22 = Temperature is 24 degrees, dew
point (a humidity measure) 22 degrees
- Q1011 = QNH barometer reading is 1011
hectopascals
- RMK = Remark
YPMQ METARAWS YPMQ 1200Z 09009G13KT //// 26.0/19.7
Q1009.5 RMK RF00.0/000.6
- YPMQ = this one's from Port Macquarie
- METARAWS = it's an ordinary METAR observation,
and it's from an Automatic Weather Station
- 09009G13KT = Wind is 090 degrees (east)
averaging 9 knots, gusting to 13 knots
- //// = visibility figure is missing
- 26.0/19.7 = Temperature 26.0 degrees,
dew point 19.7 degrees
- RF00.0/000.6 = Rainfall -- 00.0 mm in
the past 10 minutes, but 0.6mm since 9am local time.
Location
codes
These are the locations in the order they appear
in BoM reports on the Net
Capital Cities:
- YPPH Perth Airport
- PERT Perth City
- YPAD Adelaide Airport
- ADRO Adelaide City
- YMML Melbourne Airport
- MELB Melbourne City
- YMHB Hobart Airport
- HBRO Hobart City
- YSCB Canberra Airport
- YSSY Sydney Airport
- OBSH Sydney City
- YBBN Brisbane Airport
- YPDN Darwin Airport
NSW:
- GOLD Gold Coast
- YBCG Coolangatta
- CPBX Cape Byron
- YSCH Coffs Harbour
- YPMQ Port Macquarie
- YWLM Williamtown
- NULO Nullo Mountain, Upper Hunter Valley
- NRH Norah Head
- FORT Fort Dennison, Sydney Harbour
- OBSH Observatory Hill, Sydney City
- YSSY Sydney Airport
- YSBK Bankstown Airport
- YSRI Richmond Airport
- BELL Bellambi, near Wollongong
- YSNW Nowra RAN Airport
- UDAX Ulladulla
- BEGX Bega
- GCPX Green Cape (far southeastern NSW)
- YSTW Tamworth Airport
- YGLI Glen Innes
- YMOR Moree
- YARM Armidale Airport
- YCNK Cessnock
- YSCO Scone
- YMDG Mudgee
- YSDU Dubbo Airport
- MTBO Mount Boyce, between Blackheath and Mount
Victoria, Blue Mountains
- MGMT Mangrove Mountain, inland from Gosford
- YBTH Bathurst Airport
- YSCB Canberra Airport
- YGLB Goulburn Airport
- BDDX Braidwood
- YCOM Cooma Airport
- BBAX Bombala (actually about 12km south of town)
- YSWG Wagga Airport
- YMAY Albury Airport
- YBHI Broken Hill
- YCBA Cobar Airport
- YMIA Mildura Airport
- HAYX Hay
- FILX Finlay
- GTHX Griffith
- CDO Condobolin