Pilot Guide

How to Read a METAR Report

Learn how to read METAR reports, decode wind, visibility, weather, clouds, temperature and altimeter settings, and practice with AVIO's METAR decoder.

A METAR is a compact weather report for an aerodrome. Pilots use it to build a quick picture of current conditions before departure, arrival or simulator practice.

The easiest way to read one is to move left to right and identify each group: station, time, wind, visibility, weather, clouds, temperature and pressure.

Example METAR

METAR MMMX 121245Z 09008KT 10SM FEW020 SCT250 24/12 Q1018 NOSIG

This report is for station MMMX. It was observed on day 12 at 12:45 UTC. Wind is from 090 degrees at 8 knots. Visibility is 10 statute miles. Clouds are few at 2,000 feet and scattered at 25,000 feet. Temperature is 24 C, dew point is 12 C, and QNH is 1018 hPa.

What to check first

Start with wind and visibility. Those two groups usually tell you whether the runway, approach and traffic pattern deserve more attention. Then read cloud bases, precipitation, fog, thunderstorms and pressure.

If the METAR contains BKN, OVC, FG, TS, low visibility or gusty wind, slow down and compare it with your personal minimums, aircraft limits and official sources.

Practice workflow

Paste the raw report into AVIO, read the decoded output, then look back at the raw groups until the structure becomes familiar. The goal is not to memorize every rare code at once; it is to become fast and accurate with the groups pilots see every day.