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How to Read a METAR

A METAR is a coded airport weather report. Once you know the pattern, you can read it quickly. Here is a real Lahore example and what each part means:

METAR OPLA 210300Z 12002KT 1000 R36/0400N R18/P2000 BR NSC 23/20 Q1018 BECMG 1500 BR

Part by part

  • METAR: the report type.
  • OPLA: the airport’s ICAO code (Lahore). See ICAO codes.
  • 210300Z: the day of the month (21) and time (03:00 UTC). Pakistan time is UTC plus 5 hours.
  • 12002KT: wind from 120 degrees at 2 knots.
  • 1000: visibility in metres (1,000 m). “9999” means 10 km or more.
  • R36/0400N: runway visual range on runway 36 is 400 m, no change.
  • BR: mist. Other common codes: FG fog, HZ haze, DU dust, RA rain, TS thunderstorm, FU smoke.
  • NSC: no significant cloud.
  • 23/20: temperature 23°C and dew point 20°C. A small gap means fog is more likely.
  • Q1018: pressure (QNH) of 1018 hPa.
  • BECMG 1500 BR: becoming 1,500 m visibility in mist (a trend forecast).

Cloud

Cloud codes show cover and height: FEW, SCT, BKN and OVC, followed by height in hundreds of feet (BKN010 is a broken layer at 1,000 ft). See ceiling.

Flight category

The weather is often classed as VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR, from good to very low visibility. Lower categories mean delays are more likely.

Try it

See live decoded METARs on airport weather pages like Lahore weather. Next: how to read a TAF. Definition: METAR.

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General information only, not legal or safety advice. Details change; check with your airline and the relevant authority. See our editorial policy.