WMO Header Descriptions

WMO Header information

Syntax:

TTAAII CCCC

Where:

TT - Report type
AA - Region of the report
II - Report number
CCCC - Report dissimination location

Report Types

Type	Description	Codes
A	Summaries and analyses	TEXT/WMO
C	Climatic data	TEXT/WMO
D	Grid point information	GRID
E	Satellite imagery
F	Forecasts	TEXT/WMO
G	Grid point information	GRID
H	Grid point information	GRIB
I	Binary observations	BUFR
J	Binary forecasts	BUFR
L	Binary grid/IWXXM	GRIB and IWXXM
M	Binary grid	GRIB
N	Notices	TEXT
O	Oceanographic data	GRIB
P	Pictorial data	Redbook
Q	Pictorial data (regional)
R	Hydrological data	TEXT/WMO
S	Surface data	TEXT/WMO
T	Satellite data	TEXT/WMO
U	Upper air data	TEXT/WMO
V	National data
W	Watches, warnings and advisories	TEXT
X	Grid point information	GRID
Y	Grid point information	GRIB
Z	Grid point information	GRIB

[A] Analyses and summaries

TT	Explanation	Code Form
AB	Weather summaries	TEXT
AC	Convective/Cyclone discussions	TEXT
AH	Thickness	TEXT
AI	Ice discussions	FM 44 (ICEAN)
AO	Ozone discussions	TEXT
AR	Radar discussions	TEXT
AS	Surface discussions/analyses	FM 45 (IAC), FM 46 (IAC FLEET), TEXT
AT	Satellite discussions	FM 85 (SAREP)
AU	Upper air discussions	FM 45 (IAC)
AX	Tropical and miscellaneous discussions	TEXT

[C] Climatic data

TT	Explanation	Code Form
CA	Climatic anomalies	TEXT
CE	Monthly data - upper air	FM 76 (CLIMAT TEMP SHIP)
CH	Monthly data - surface	FM 72 (CLIMAT SHIP)
CO	Monthly data - ocean areas	FM 73 (NACLI, CLINP, SPCLI, CLISA, INCLI)
CS	Monthly data - surface	FM 71 (CLIMAT)
CU	Monthly data - upper air	FM 75 (CLIMAT TEMP)

[F] Forecast information

TT	Explanation	Code Form
FA	Aviation area/GAMET forecasts	FM 53 (ARFOR)
FB	Upper level windows and temperatures	FM 50 (WINTEM)
FC	Aerodrome forecasts (VT < 12hr)	FM 51 (TAF)
FD	Radiological trajectory	FM 57 (RADOF)
FE	Extended forecasts	TEXT
FF	Shipping forecasts	FM 46 (IAC FLEET)
FI	Iceberg forecasts	TEXT
FJ	Radio warning service	TEXT
FK	Tropical cyclone advisories	TEXT
FL	Local advisories	TEXT
FM	Temperature extreme forecasts	TEXT
FO	Model guidance forecasts	Formatted TEXT
FP	Public forecasts	TEXT
FQ	Other shipping forecasts	TEXT
FR	Aviation route forecasts	FM 54 (ROFOR)
FS	Surface forecasts	FM 45 (IAC), FM 46 (IAC FLEET), TEXT
FT	Aerodrome forecasts (VT > 12hr)	FM 51 (TAF)
FU	Upper air forecasts	FM 45 (IAC)
FV	Volcanic ash advisories	TEXT
FW	Winter sports forecasts	TEXT
FX	Miscellaneous forecasts	TEXT
FZ	Shipping area forecasts	FM 61 (MAFOR)

[L] IWXXM formatted data

TT	Explanation	Code Form
LA	Aviation reports routine (METAR)	IWXXM
LC	Aerodrome forecast (VT < 12hr) (TAF)	IWXXM
LK	Tropical cyclone advisory	IWXXM
LP	Aviation reports special (SPECI)	IWXXM
LS	Aviation general warning (SIGMET)	IWXXM
LT	Aerodrome forecast (VT ≥ 12hr) (TAF)	IWXXM
LU	Volcanic ash advisory	IWXXM
LV	Aviation volcanic ash warning (SIGMET)	IWXXM
LW	General aviation advisory (AIRMET)	IWXXM
LY	Aviation tropical cyclone warning (SIGMET)	IWXXM

[N] Notices

TT	Explanation	Code Form
NG	Hydrological notices	TEXT
NH	Marine notices	TEXT
NN	Nuclear emergency response	TEXT
NO	METNO/WIFMA notices	TEXT
NP	Product generation delay	TEXT
NT	Test messages	TEXT
NW	Warning relation and/or cancellation	TEXT

[S] Surface data

TT	Explanation	Code Form
SA	Aviation routine reports	FM 15 (METAR), SAO
SB	Radar reports (part A)	FM 20 (RADOB)
SC	Radar reports (part B)	FM 20 (RADOB)
SD	Radar reports (parts A & B)	FM 20 (RADOB), Formatted TEXT
SE	Earthquake/Seismic reports	Formatted TEXT
SF	Atmopsheric reports	FM 81 (SFAZI), FM 82 (SFLOC), FM 83 (SFAZU)
SG	Radiological data reports	FM 22 (RADREP)
SI	Intermediate synoptic hour reports	FM12 (SYNOP), FM13 (SHIP)
SM	Main synoptic hour reports	FM12 (SYNOP), FM13 (SHIP)
SN	Nonstandard synoptic reports	FM12 (SYNOP), FM13 (SHIP)
SO	Oceanographic data	TEXT
SP	Special aviation reports	FM 16 (SPECI)
SR	Hydrological reports	FM 67 (HYDRA)
SS	Drifting buoy reports	FM 18 (DRIFTER)
ST	Sea ice reports	TEXT
SU	Snow depth reports	TEXT
SV	Lake ice reports	TEXT
SW	Wave reports	FM 65 (WAVEOB)
SX	Miscellaneous reports	TEXT
SY	Seismic waveform reports	TEXT
SZ	Sea level data and deep ocean tsunami data	TEXT

[T] Satellite data

TT	Explanation	Code Form
TB	Satellite orbit parameters	Formatted TEXT
TC	Satellite cloud interpretations	FM 85 (SAREP)
TH	Satellite derived upper air soundings	FM 86 (SATEM)
TI	Satellite imagery	NOAAPORT Satellite Format
TR	Clear radiance observations	FM 87 (SARAD)
TT	Sea surface temperatures	FM 88 (SATOB)
TW	Winds and cloud temperatures	FM 88 (SATOB)
TX	Miscellaneous satellite reports	TEXT

[U] Upper air data

TT	Explanation	Code Form
UA	Aircraft reports	FM 41 (CODAR), ICAO (AIREP)
UB	Aircraft reports	PIREP
UC	Constant balloon data	COLBA
UD	Aircraft reports	FM 42 (AMDAR)
UE	Upper air temp data (part D)	FM 35 (TEMP), FM 36 (TEMP SHIP), FM 38 (TEMP MOBIL)
UF	Upper air temp data (part C, D)	FM 35 (TEMP), FM 36 (TEMP SHIP), FM 38 (TEMP MOBIL)
UG	Upper air wind data (part B)	FM 32 (PILOT), FM 33 (PILOT SHIP), FM 34 (PILOT MOBIL)
UH	Upper air wind data (part C)	FM 32 (PILOT), FM 33 (PILOT SHIP), FM 34 (PILOT MOBIL)
UI	Upper air wind data (part A, B)	FM 32 (PILOT), FM 33 (PILOT SHIP), FM 34 (PILOT MOBIL)
UK	Upper air temp data (part B)	FM 35 (TEMP), FM 36 (TEMP SHIP), FM 38 (TEMP MOBIL)
UL	Upper air temp data (part C)	FM 35 (TEMP), FM 36 (TEMP SHIP), FM 38 (TEMP MOBIL)
UM	Upper air temp data (part A, B)	FM 35 (TEMP), FM 36 (TEMP SHIP), FM 38 (TEMP MOBIL)
UN	Rocketsonde reports	FM 39 (ROCOB), FM 40 (ROCOB SHIP)
UP	Upper air wind data (part A)	FM 32 (PILOT), FM 33 (PILOT SHIP), FM 34 (PILOT MOBIL)
UQ	Upper air wind data (part D)	FM 32 (PILOT), FM 33 (PILOT SHIP), FM 34 (PILOT MOBIL)
UR	Aircraft recon reports	RECCO
US	Upper air temp data (part A)	FM 35 (TEMP), FM 36 (TEMP SHIP), FM 38 (TEMP MOBIL)
UT	Aircraft reports	FM 41 (CODAR)
UX	Miscellaneous upper air reports	TEXT
UY	Upper air wind data (part C, D)	FM 32 (PILOT), FM 33 (PILOT SHIP), FM 34 (PILOT MOBIL)
UZ	Dropsonde reports	FM 37 (TEMP DROP)

[W] Watch and warning information

TT	Explanation	Code Form
WA	AIRMET advisories	TEXT
WC	Tropical cyclone SIGMET	TEXT/SIGMET
WE	Tsunami warnings	TEXT
WF	Tornado	TEXT
WG	Hydrological/River flood	FM 57 (RADOF)
WH	Maritime/coastal flood	TEXT
WO	Other watches and warnings	TEXT
WS	Aviation SIGMET	TEXT/SIGMET
WT	Tropical cyclone	TEXT
WU	Severe thunderstorm	TEXT
WV	Volcanic ash SIGMET	TEXT/SIGMET
WW	Warnings and weather summary	TEXT

Report Region

Countries, regions and islands

AA	Region	AA	Region	AA	Region
AB	Albania	AG	Argentina	AH	Afghanistan
AI	Ascension lsland	AK	Alaska	AL	Algeria
AN	Angola	AT	Antigua, St Kitts and other British Islands in the vicinity	AU	Australia
AY	Armenia	AZ	Azores	BA	Bahamas
BC	Botswana	BD	Bruei Darussalam	BE	Bermuda
BH	Belize	BI	Burundi	BJ	Benin
BK	Banks Island	BM	Myanmar	BN	Bahrain
BO	Bolivia	BR	Barbados	BU	Bulgaria
BV	Bouvet Island	BW	Bangladesh	BX	Belgium, Luxembourg
BY	Belarus	BZ	Brazil	CD	Chad
CE	Central African Republic	CG	Congo	CH	Chile
CI	China	CM	Cameroon	CN	Canada
CO	Colombia	CR	Spain (Canary Islands)	CS	Costa Rica
CT	Canton Island	CU	Cuba	CV	Cape Verde
CY	Cyprus	CZ	Czech Republic	DJ	Djibouti
DL	Germany	DN	Denmark	DO	Dominica
DR	Dominican Republic	EG	Egypt	EQ	Ecuador
ER	United Arab Emirates	ES	El Salvador	ET	Ethiopia
FA	Faeroes	FG	French Guyana	FI	Finland
FJ	Fiji	FK	Falkland Islands (Malvinas)	FP	St Pierre and Miquelon
FR	France	FW	Wallis and Futuna Islands	GB	Gambia
GC	Cayman Islands	GD	Grenada	GE	Gough Island
GH	Ghana	GI	Gibraltar	GL	Greenland
GM	Guam	GN	Guinea	GO	Gabon
GQ	Equatorial Guinea	GR	Greece	GU	Guatemala
GW	Guinea-Bissau	GY	Guyana	HA	Haiti
HE	St. Helena	HK	Hong Kong, China	HO	Honduras
HU	Hungary	HV	Burkina Faso	HW	Hawaiian Islands
IC	Comoros	ID	Indonesia	IE	Ireland
IL	Iceland	IN	India	IQ	Iraq
IR	Iran, Islamic Republic of	IS	Isreal	IV	Cote d'Ivoire
IY	Italy	JD	Jordan	JM	Jamaica
JP	Japan	KA	Caroline Islands	KB	Kiribati
KI	Chistmas Island	KK	Cocos Islands	KN	Kenya
KO	Korea, Republic of	KP	Cambodia	KR	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
KU	Cook Islands	KW	Kuwait	KY	Kyrgyzstan
KZ	Kazakhstan	LA	Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos)	LB	Lebanon
LC	Saint Lucia	LI	Liberia	LN	Southern Line Islands
LS	Lesotho	LT	Lithuania	LV	Latvia
LY	Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	MA	Mauritius	MB	Marion Island
MC	Morocco	MD	Madeira	MF	Saint Martin, Saint Bartholomew, Guadeloupe and other French Islands in the vicinity
MG	Madagascar	MH	Marshall Island	MI	Mali
MJ	Republic of Macedonia	MK	Montenegro	ML	Malta
MN	Mt Maarten, St Eustatius and Saba	MO	Mongolia	MR	Martinique
MS	Malaysia	MT	Mauritania	MU	Macao, China
MV	Maldives	MW	Malawi	MX	Mexico
MY	Mariana lslands	MZ	Mozambique	NC	New Caledonia
NG	Papua New Guinea	NI	Nigeria	NK	Nicaragua
NL	Netherlands	NM	Namibia	NO	Norway
NP	Nepal	NR	Niger	NU	Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao)
NV	Vanuatu	NW	Nauru	NZ	New Zealand
OM	Oman	OR	South Orkney Islands	OS	Austria
PF	French Polynesia	PH	Phillippines	PI	Phoenix Islands
PK	Pakistan	PL	Poland	PM	Panama
PO	Portugal	PR	Peru	PT	Pitcairn
PU	Puerto Rico	PY	Paraguay	QB	Bosnia and Herzegovina
QT	Qatar	RA	Russian Federation (East)	RE	Reunion and associated islands
RH	Croatia	RM	Moldova, Republic of	RO	Romania
RS	Russian Federation (West)	RW	Rwanda	SB	Sri Lanka
SC	Seychelles	SD	Saudi Arabia	SG	Senegal
SI	Somalia	SK	Sarawak	SL	Sierra Leone
SM	Suriname	SN	Sweden	SO	Solomon Islands
SQ	Slovakia	SR	Singapore	SP	Spain
SU	Sudan	SV	Swaziland	SW	Switzerland
SX	Santa Cruz Islands	SY	Syria Arab Republic	SZ	Spitzbergen Islands
TC	Tristan da Cunha	TD	Trinidad and Tobago	TG	Togo
TH	Thailand	TI	Turk Islands	TK	Tokelau
TM	Timor-Leste	TN	Tanzania, United Republic of	TO	Tonga
TP	Sao Tome and Principe	TR	Turkmenistan	TS	Tunisia
TU	Turkey	TV	Tuvalu	UG	Uganda
UK	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	UR	Ukraine	US	United States of America
UY	Uraguay	UZ	Uzbekistan	VG	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
VI	Virgin Islands	VN	Venezuela	VS	Viet Nam
YE	Yemen	YG	Serbia	ZA	South Africa
ZB	Zambia	ZM	Samoa	ZR	Democratic Republic of the Congo
ZW	Zimbabwe

Continents, Oceans and Hemispheres

AA	Region	AA	Region	AA	Region
AA	Antarctica	AC	Artic	AE	South-East Asia
AF	Africa	AM	Central Africa	AO	West Africa
AP	Southern Africa	AS	Asia	AW	Near East
AX	Arabian Sea area	BQ	Baltic Sea area	CA	Caribbean and Central America
EA	East Africa	EC	East China Sea area	EE	Eastern Europe
EM	Middle Europe	EN	Northern Europe	EU	Europe
EW	Western Europe	FE	Far East	GA	Gulf of Alaska area
GX	Gulf of Mexico area	IO	Indian Ocean area	ME	Eastern Mediterranean area
MM	Mediterranean area	MP	Central Mediterranean area	MQ	Western Mediterranean area
NA	North America	NT	North Atlantic area	OC	Oceania
OH	Sea of Okhotsk	PA	Pacific area	PE	Persian Gulf area
PN	North Pacific area	PQ	Western North Pacific	PS	South Pacific area
PW	Western Pacific area	PZ	Eastern Pacific area	SA	South America
SE	Southern Ocean area	SJ	Sea of Japan area	SS	South China Sea area
ST	South Atlantic area	XE	Eastern hemisphere	XN	Northern hemisphere
XS	Southern hemisphere	XT	Tropical belt	XW	Western hemisphere
XX	for use where other designator are not appropriate

Updated May 2020