metaf2xml project parses and decodes aviation routine weather reports (METAR, SPECI), aerodrome forecasts (TAF), and synoptic observations (SYNOP) and stores the components in XML (all done in Perl). There are also XSLT style sheets to convert the XML to plain language (text, HTML), or XML with different schemas, and a command line and a web-based (CGI) user interface.
All parts of the messages are parsed, some common format errors are corrected or tolerated.
METAR and SPECI (weather observation) and TAF (weather forecast) information is essential for flight planning and in-flight decisions (real flight and simulation). It is regularily compiled by meteorologists at about 3,500 airports worldwide and distributed via reliable, non-public networks. Information for SYNOP is collected by more than 11,000 manned and unmanned meteorological stations around the world and is used for weather forecasting and climatic statistics. The raw format is abbreviated, some items are coded. Here are some METAR, TAF, and SYNOP messages from Rio (SBGL, 83746), New York (KJFK, 74486), and Tokyo (RJTT, 47662):
SBGL 300600Z 33002KT 9999 SCT015 BKN070 14/11 Q1027
SBGL 300300Z 300606 33005KT 8000 SCT020 BECMG 0810 5000 BR SCT013 BECMG 1113 27005KT
8000 NSW SCT018 BECMG 1517 21010KT SCT020 BECMG 2123 17005KT BECMG 0002 00000KT SCT015 TN17/09Z TX22/16Z RMK PGY
KJFK 300551Z 00000KT 5SM HZ BKN030 BKN048 OVC130 23/20 A2996
AMD KJFK 300255Z 300324 VRB04KT 5SM BR SCT020 BKN060 TEMPO 0406 BKN020 FM0600 VRB03KT
3SM BR OVC009 FM1300 VRB05KT 6SM HZ SCT025 BKN100 FM1700 17008KT P6SM SCT040CB BKN100
RJTT 300630Z 08012KT 9999 -SHRA FEW010 BKN040 23/20 Q1008
RJTT 300552Z 300615 05014KT 9000 FEW010 SCT030 TEMPO 1215 3000 TSRA FEW008 SCT010 FEW015CB BKN020
RJTT 300249Z 301206 04015KT 7000 FEW008 SCT020 BKN030 TEMPO 1218 3000 TSRA BKN008
BKN020 SCT020CB TEMPO 1821 4000 BR BECMG 0306 14006KT
AAXX 30034 83746 41462 73404 10136 20115 40291 58005 71022 84530
AAXX 30064 74486 31558 80000 10228 20200 30134 40144 58003 705// 90551 333 10250 20222 555 93006
AAXX 30064 47662 11/70 70706 10231 20180 30043 40085 50000 60151 70298 8527/
The intended users are flight simmers, private pilot (students) who want to extend their knowledge about the message formats, and everyone who just wants to know what the weather is/will be at some station in plain language.
Product's homepage
What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]
· This version extends parsing for BUOY and SYNOP messages.
· There are many smaller changes and other extensions.