ICAO 8896:11ED 2017

Chapter 1. Meteorological service for international air navigation ............................................................... 1-1
1.1 General ................................................................................................................................................ 1-1
1.2 Aerodrome meteorological offices and other meteorological offices ................................................... 1-3
1.3 Meteorological watch offices (MWOs) ................................................................................................. 1-3
1.4 Aeronautical meteorological stations ................................................................................................... 1-4
1.5 World area forecast centres (WAFCs) ................................................................................................. 1-4
1.6 Tropical cyclone advisory centres (TCACs) ......................................................................................... 1-5
1.7 Volcanic ash advisory centres (VAACs) .............................................................................................. 1-5
1.8 State volcano observatories ................................................................................................................ 1-5
Chapter 2. Meteorological observations and reports ..................................................................................... 2-1
2.1 General ................................................................................................................................................ 2-1
2.2 Aerodrome observations and reports .................................................................................................. 2-1
2.3 Routine reports .................................................................................................................................... 2-4
2.4 Special reports .................................................................................................................................... 2-22
2.5 Reports of volcanic activity .................................................................................................................. 2-25
2.6 Basic meteorological data ................................................................................................................... 2-25
Chapter 3. Forecasts ......................................................................................................................................... 3-1
3.1 General ................................................................................................................................................ 3-1
3.2 Accuracy of aeronautical meteorological forecasts ............................................................................. 3-1
3.3 Types of aeronautical meteorological forecasts .................................................................................. 3-1
3.4 Aerodrome forecasts (TAF) ................................................................................................................. 3-3
3.5 Trend forecasts ................................................................................................................................... 3-8
3.6 Forecasts for take-off........................................................................................................................... 3-12
3.7 Forecasts of en-route conditions ......................................................................................................... 3-13
Chapter 4. SIGMET information, tropical cyclone and volcanic ash advisory information,
AIRMET information, aerodrome warnings and wind shear warnings and alerts .......................................... 4-1
4.1 General ................................................................................................................................................ 4-1
4.2 SIGMET information ............................................................................................................................ 4-1
4.3 Tropical cyclone and volcanic ash advisory information ...................................................................... 4-5
4.4 AIRMET information ............................................................................................................................ 4-8
4.5 Aerodrome warnings ........................................................................................................................... 4-10
4.6 Wind shear warnings and alerts .......................................................................................................... 4-11 Chapter 5. Meteorological service for operators and flight crew members ................................................. 5-1
5.1 General ................................................................................................................................................ 5-1
5.2 Briefing, consultation and display ........................................................................................................ 5-4
5.3 Flight documentation ........................................................................................................................... 5-5
5.4 Automated pre-flight information systems ........................................................................................... 5-8
5.5 Information for aircraft in flight ............................................................................................................. 5-9
Chapter 6. Dissemination of OPMET information and WAFS forecasts ....................................................... 6-1
6.1 General ................................................................................................................................................ 6-1
6.2 Dissemination of OPMET information on the AFTN ............................................................................ 6-1
6.3 Dissemination of OPMET information and WAFS forecasts on the Internet ........................................ 6-4
6.4 Interrogation procedures for international OPMET databanks ............................................................. 6-4
6.5 Dissemination of OPMET information to aircraft in flight ..................................................................... 6-5
Chapter 7. Aircraft observations and reports ................................................................................................. 7-1
7.1 General ................................................................................................................................................ 7-1
7.2 Reporting of aircraft observations during flight .................................................................................... 7-1
7.3 Routine aircraft observations ............................................................................................................... 7-1
7.4 Special and other non-routine aircraft observations ............................................................................ 7-2
7.5 Content of air-reports ........................................................................................................................... 7-4
7.6 Criteria for reporting meteorological and related parameters in
automated air-reports .......................................................................................................................... 7-6
7.7 Exchange of air-reports ....................................................................................................................... 7-6
7.8 Recording and post-flight reporting of aircraft observations of volcanic activity ................................... 7-7
7.9 Detailed instructions concerning the content of special air-reports received
by voice communications by MWOs .................................................................................................... 7-8
Chapter 8. Aeronautical climatological information ....................................................................................... 8-1
Chapter 9. Relevant documents ....................................................................................................................... 9-1
9.1 ICAO documents of a specifically meteorological nature ..................................................................... 9-1
9.2 Other ICAO documents ....................................................................................................................... 9-3
9.3 WMO documents ................................................................................................................................. 9-5