Met Services

Weather Forecast

A weather forecast predicts the coming or expected weather.

Weather Report

A weather report shows the current or observed weather.

Remember:

• Forecast = expected weather
• Report = current weather

Aviation Weather Briefings

Official aviation weather briefings for general aviation are available from the PreFlight website.

Weather information available includes:

• GRAFORs;
• AAWs;
• TAFs;
• METARs;
• SIGMETs;
• weather radar;
• satellite imagery; and
• other aviation weather information.

IFIS (Internet Flight Information Service) is provided by Airways New Zealand and provides information and services such as:

• NOTAMs;
• flight planning;
• ATIS information; and
• some aviation weather information.

A NOTAM is not a weather briefing. It provides aeronautical information concerning matters such as aerodromes, airspace, facilities and hazards.

Other useful sources of weather information can include:

• web-based forecasting sites;
• web-based automatic weather stations; and
• reports from other pilots, including pilots at your destination airfield.

The Main Aviation Weather Products

The main products you need to recognise are:

GRAFOR — a general area forecast.