How to Read a METAR: A Beginner's Guide (2026)

If you are preparing for the DGCA Aviation Meteorology paper, or you have just started flying, you will meet the METAR almost immediately. It looks like a jumble of letters and numbers, but it follows a fixed order, and once you know that order you can read one in under a minute. This guide explains each group and compares the US format with the ICAO format used in India, using clearly labelled examples.

This is neutral, educational orientation, not flight training and not an official briefing. Always use official weather sources and your instructor's guidance for real flights, and check the current syllabus and notices on dgca.gov.in.

Planning your DGCA CPL theory papers? Get free one-to-one guidance on the subjects, study order and next steps for your pilot journey. Under 18? Please fill it in with a parent.

What is a METAR?

A METAR is a routine aerodrome weather report: an observation of what the weather is at an airport at a given time. It is not a forecast. The forecast for an aerodrome is a different product, the TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast). A simple way to remember it: a METAR tells you what the weather is now; a TAF tells you what it is expected to be.

METARs are normally issued every hour, and some stations issue them every half hour. When the weather changes significantly between routine reports, a special report called a SPECI is issued. In the United States, routine observations are taken at about 45 minutes past the hour.

The code itself is an international standard. The FAA's Aeronautical Information Manual explains that the base METAR and TAF code is set out in WMO publication No. 782, and that each country may make some changes for its own use (FAA AIM, Chapter 7, Section 1, para 7-1-29). The international standards for aviation weather reports sit in ICAO Annex 3, developed with the World Meteorological Organization.

The fixed order of a METAR

Every METAR follows the same sequence. If an element does not occur or cannot be observed, it is simply left out:

  1. Type of report: METAR or SPECI.
  2. Station: the 4-letter ICAO location code. Indian aerodromes start with V, for example VIDP (Delhi) and VABB (Mumbai).
  3. Day and time in UTC, written ddhhmmZ. 161130Z means the 16th of the month at 1130 UTC. Remember India is UTC + 5:30, so 1130Z is 1700 IST.
  4. Modifier (when needed): AUTO for an automated report, COR for a corrected one.
  5. Wind.
  6. Visibility.
  7. Runway visual range (RVR), when reported.
  8. Present weather, such as rain, mist or thunderstorm.
  9. Sky condition (cloud).
  10. Temperature / dew point.
  11. Pressure (altimeter setting).
  12. Remarks (RMK), mainly in US reports.

The full key is in the FAA METAR/TAF key (PDF) and in FAA AC 00-45H, Aviation Weather Services.

Decoding each group

Wind

The first three digits are the direction the wind is blowing from, in degrees true, rounded to the nearest 10 degrees. Then comes the speed and the unit, usually KT (knots).

  • 27010KT: wind from 270 degrees at 10 knots.
  • 22015G25KT: from 220 degrees at 15 knots, gusting 25 knots.
  • 00000KT: calm. VRB instead of a direction means variable.

Two common traps: METAR wind is referenced to true north, while winds given by the tower or ATIS are magnetic. And in the ICAO format a gust group only appears when the gusts exceed the mean speed by 10 knots or more, so "G" does not simply mean "windy".

Visibility

This is where the two formats differ most. US format: statute miles, for example 3/4SM or 10SM. ICAO format (India): metres, as four digits, for example 3000 (3 km) or 9999, which means 10 km or more.

You may also see CAVOK ("ceiling and visibility OK") in ICAO reports. It replaces the visibility, weather and cloud groups when visibility is 10 km or more, there is no cloud below 5,000 ft (or the highest minimum sector altitude, if higher), no cumulonimbus and no significant weather (FAA Aviation Weather Handbook).

Present weather

Weather is written as short codes, with "-" for light and "+" for heavy. Common ones include RA (rain), TS (thunderstorm), TSRA (thunderstorm with rain), BR (mist), FG (fog) and HZ (haze). The FAA key lists all of them.

Cloud

Cloud is reported as amount plus height in hundreds of feet above the ground:

  • FEW (few), SCT (scattered), BKN (broken), OVC (overcast).
  • BKN015 = broken cloud at 1,500 ft. FEW030 = a few clouds at 3,000 ft.
  • CB or TCU added to a group means cumulonimbus or towering cumulus, for example SCT025CB. These are the clouds pilots pay special attention to.

Temperature and dew point

Two numbers in whole degrees Celsius separated by "/". M means minus, so M06 is -6 degrees C. When temperature and dew point are close together, the air is near saturation, which points to a risk of fog, low cloud or reduced visibility.

Pressure

US format: A followed by inches of mercury, so A2992 = 29.92 inHg. ICAO format (India): Q followed by hectopascals, so Q1013 = 1013 hPa.

Worked examples (EXAMPLE reports only, not current weather)

The reports below are examples for learning. They are not real-time observations and must never be used for flight planning. For live reports, use an official source such as the AviationWeather.gov METAR page (enter a 4-letter ICAO code) and your local official briefing.

Example 1: US format (from the FAA METAR key)

METAR KPIT 091955Z COR 22015G25KT 3/4SM R28L/2600FT TSRA OVC010CB 18/16 A2992 RMK SLP045 T01820159

  • Routine report for Pittsburgh (KPIT), 9th of the month at 1955 UTC, corrected.
  • Wind from 220 degrees true at 15 knots, gusting 25.
  • Visibility 3/4 statute mile; runway 28L visual range 2,600 ft.
  • Thunderstorm with rain; overcast at 1,000 ft with cumulonimbus.
  • 18/16 degrees C; altimeter 29.92 inHg; remarks follow RMK.

Example 2: ICAO / India format (made-up EXAMPLE)

METAR VIDP 160530Z 30008KT 3000 HZ FEW030 31/17 Q1008

  • Routine report for Delhi (VIDP), 16th at 0530 UTC (1100 IST).
  • Wind from 300 degrees true at 8 knots.
  • Visibility 3,000 metres in haze.
  • A few clouds at 3,000 ft.
  • Temperature 31, dew point 17 degrees C; QNH 1008 hPa.

Example 3: ICAO / India format, monsoon-style (made-up EXAMPLE)

METAR VABB 160600Z 24015G25KT 4000 RA BKN012 SCT025CB 27/25 Q1004

  • Mumbai (VABB), 16th at 0600 UTC (1130 IST).
  • Wind from 240 degrees at 15 knots, gusting 25 (gusts 10 knots above the mean, so the group is shown).
  • Visibility 4,000 metres in moderate rain.
  • Broken cloud at 1,200 ft; scattered cumulonimbus at 2,500 ft.
  • Temperature 27, dew point 25: very close together, so expect moist, low-cloud conditions. QNH 1004 hPa.

Notice what the METAR does not tell you on its own: whether a particular flight is legal or safe. Weather minima depend on the rules, the operator and the pilot's licence and ratings. It is one input, alongside the TAF and a proper briefing.

Why METARs matter for the DGCA Aviation Meteorology paper

Aviation Meteorology is one of the DGCA CPL theory papers, and reading METAR, TAF and SIGMET messages is part of the syllabus along with clouds, fog, fronts, Indian climatology and flight hazards. Our guide to DGCA exams explained covers the full list of papers and how to get started.

A few study habits help:

  • Start from the official syllabus and DGCA's listed study material, not random notes.
  • Decode a few real METARs every day from an official source, then check yourself against the FAA key.
  • Always ask "which format is this?" before decoding visibility and pressure.

No study method guarantees a result, but steady daily practice makes METARs feel routine. Weather vocabulary also helps with radio work; see our RTR(A) under DGCA guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is a METAR a forecast?

No. A METAR is an observation of current conditions at an aerodrome. The aerodrome forecast is the TAF.

Is METAR wind true or magnetic?

True. Winds given by ATC towers and ATIS are magnetic, which is why the two can differ slightly.

What does 9999 mean in a METAR?

In the ICAO format used in India, 9999 means visibility of 10 km or more. US reports give visibility in statute miles instead.

Where can I practise with real METARs?

AviationWeather.gov lets you enter any 4-letter ICAO code, including Indian ones such as VIDP or VABB. Treat any report you save as a past example, because METARs go out of date quickly.

Wrap-up

A METAR is just a fixed sequence: station, time in UTC, wind (true, from), visibility, weather, cloud, temperature/dew point and pressure. Learn that order, always check whether you are reading the US or ICAO format, and practise with official sources. It is a small skill you will use in DGCA Meteorology preparation and on every flight you plan.

Get free one-to-one guidance on DGCA theory papers and your pilot training plan. Students under 18, please involve a parent.

Related: DGCA exams explained · RTR(A) under DGCA · DGCA Computer Number application · DGCA ground classes online vs offline

General educational information only, not flight training or an official weather briefing. Example reports are for learning and are not current weather. Rules, syllabi and formats change; always confirm with DGCA (dgca.gov.in), your flying school and official meteorological sources. No study method guarantees exam results.

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