On June 1, 1996, the United States will change the format in which we disseminate current and forecast weather. We will change to the new international Aviation Routine Weather Report called METAR and Aerodrome Forecast called TAF already in use by all other nations worldwide. While all countries will be using the METAR format, there are slight differences due to exceptions filed by each country. There will even be slight differences between United States and Canadian reports.
Since the beginning of weather recording, there have been two formats used to report current and forecast weather. North American countries (United States, Canada, and Mexico) used a format referred to as Surface Aviation Observation, or SAO, and the rest of the world, with minor differences, used a format called METAR, to report current weather. The same was true for terminal forecast reports. North American countries used Terminal Forecast, or FT, and everyone else used TAF. As deregulation came to the airline industry; and the number of pilots flying internationally grew, the need to standardize current weather reports and terminal forecast reports became apparent.
For years, discussions have taken place with the intention of coming to agreement on one format for everyone. Finally, a meeting was held in Geneva late in 1989. The product of that meeting was a blend of the existing SAO and METAR reports. Later, terminal forecasts were reviewed. The locally produced FT and international TAF were combined and the new TAF report is the result.
Once the basic formats for METAR and TAF were set, each country was given the opportunity to file for exceptions to the formats to meet the needs of that country. These exceptions had to be approved by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Keep this in mind when looking at reports from other countries. They may be slightly different from our reports.
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