METAR

Metar is a format for reporting weather information about the airport and it can be sent every hour or every 30 minutes. If there are weather change between the bulletins, AMO employees must send another bulletin called SPECI. This bulletin is sent to international network and everyone can see the last Metar on web such as this.     

A typical Metar contain the following data:

• Type of Bulletin
• ICAO airport code 
• Date e Time (indicates the time of the observation, day of the month followed by the Zulu time of day)
• Wind direction and Speed  ( wind direction is indicated by degrees, wind speed is indicated by knots -KT- or meter per second -MPS- )
• Prevailing Visibility 
• Runway Visual Range ( this data is posted if the prevailing visibility is under 1500 meters or if the visibility of one or all RVR sensors give a visibility under 1500 meters )   
• Present Weather ( the following table don't have all PW but only the most common, In addition you can find the VC = vicinity. For example you can find the VCTS = Vicinity thunderstorm )
• Sky coverage
• Temperature and Dew Point
• Pressure
• Additional information
• Recent Weather
• Condition of Runway
• Remark
• Trend

Some Present Weather Code

PW Code	English Name	Italian Name
DZ	Drizzle	Pioviggine
RA	Rain	Pioggia
SN	Snow	Neve
SG	Snow grains	Neve granulosa
IC	Diamond dust	Cristalli di ghiaccio
PL	Ice Pellets	Pioggia gelata (granuli di ghiaccio)
GR	Hail	Grandine
GS	Small hail and/or Snow Grains	Grandine piccola (meno di 5mm) e/o Granuli di Neve
BR	Mist	Foschia
FG	Fog	Nebbia
FU	Smoke	Fumo
VA	Volcanic ash	Cenere vulcanica
DU	Widespead dust	Polvere (su un'area estesa)
SA	Sand	Sabbia
HZ	Haze	Caligine
PO	Well-Developed Dust/Sand Whirls	Mulinelli di polvere e sabbia
SQ	Squalls	Groppi
FC	Funnel cloud	Tornado o tromba marina
SS	Sand storm	Tempesta di sabbia
DS	Dust storm	Tempesta di polvere