How to read TAFS

[Morph]

Hello all,

thought I might put this in here for the new pilots who don't know how to read TAF's Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) obtained from http://aviation.weathersa.co.za

This is the predicted weather for CT for tommorow 18 to 24 hour forecast

FACT 141200Z 141818 22008KT CAVOK FM2200 32010KT 9999 BKN008
PROB40 TEMPO 0009 1000 BCFG OVC002 BECMG 0811 BKN015
PROB30 TEMPO 1618 4000 -RA BKN008 BKN020 TX18/11ZTN08/04Z=

FACT Cape Town
141200Z 14th at 12h00Z = 14h00 CAT
141818 valid from the 14th 1800Z to 1800Z tommorow
22008KT Wind direction 220deg true, 08 knot
CAVOK - Clear and visibility OK
FM2200 32010KT - from 22h00Z = 0h00CAT wind 320 deg, 10Knot
9999 - visibility more than 9999meters i.e. clear air, no smog or fog or mist
BKN008 - Broken clouds (5 to 7 eighths) at 800 ft
PROB40 TEMPO 0009 1000 - 40% chance of intermittent rain(TEMPO) between 09h00z and 10h00Z (11h00 to 12h00 CAT)
BCFG (Fog patches) OVC002 (Overcast 200ft ceiling) BECMG (becoming) 0811 (between 08Z and 11Z) BKN015 (broken clouds 5-7 eighths at 1500ft)
PROB30 (30% chance) TEMPO (intermittent rain) 1618 (16h00Z to 18h00Z) 4000 (visibility 4000meters) -RA (Showers of rain) BKN008 (Broken cloud at 800ft) BKN020 (and again at 2000ft)

TX18/11ZTN08/04Z= Max 18deg cel at 11h00z and min 08deg cel at 04 Z

Zulu time is GMT so add 2 hours to get SA (Central Africa Time CAT) time

In short K@K

[Morph]

Here is a list of codes
BCFG Fog Patches
BECMG Becoming
BKN Broken Clouds (5 to 7 Octas or eighths)
BR Mist
CAVOK Ceiling and visibility OK
CB Thunder Cell
CIT Urban Areas – City
COT Coastal
DU Dust
EMBD Embedded in cloud and haze
ESC Escarpment
FEW Few clouds (1 to 2 Octas)
FRQ CB Little or no separation between thundercells
FU Smoke
GR Hail
GS Hail (small)
HZ Haze
ISOL CB Isolated Thunderclouds
LOV Lowveld
LYR Layered cloud
MON Mountains
NSC No significant clouds
NSW No significant weather
OCNL CB Well separated thundercells
OVC Overcast 8 Octas
PRFG Partial Fog
RA Rain (-RA Light rain)
SA Sand
SCT Scattered cloud (3 to 4 Octas)
SHRA Rain Showers
TEMPO Temporary intervals of rain
TS Thunderstorms
VAL Valleys
VCFG Vicinity Fog

[kb]

And, METAR's arethe same, except that it is current. Instead of a validity time, it has the reported time. A SIGMET or AIRMET is wx observations by PILOTS, that are reported to the wx station, normally referring to wx developments that are not forcast.