Table 1-7.Upper-Air Observation Types and Reporting Codes
WMO CODE
I D
OBSERVATION
DATA
OB TYPE
S I T E
FM 32-IX-PILOT
P P
Fixed Land Site
Upper
PIBALs
FM 34-IX-PILOT MOBIL
E E
Mobil Land Site
W i n d
FM 33-IX-PILOT-SHIP
Q Q
S h i p
Reports
FM 35-X-TEMP
T T
Fixed Land Site
Upper level
RAWIN-,
FM 38-X-TEMP MOBIL
I I
Mobil Land Site
Pressure
RADIO-,
FM 36-X-TEMP SHIP
U U
S h i p
Temperature
D R O P - ,
FM 37-X-TEMP DROP
X X
Aircraft
Humidity
SONDEs, and
Winds
R A B A L s
FM 39-VI-ROCOB
RRXX
Fixed Land Site
Upper level
ROCKETSONDEs
FM 40-VI-ROCOB SHIP
S S X X
S h i p
Air density
Temperature
W i n d s
FM 41-IV-CODAR
LLXX
Aircraft
Upper level Pressure
Aircraft (manual)
Temperature
W i n d s
FM 42-XI AMDAR
n o n e
Aircraft
Upper level
Aircraft to satellite
Pressure
data relay
Temperature
Dew point
Winds
NOTE: "" indicates multi-part messages (AA, BB, CC, or DD).
The observation time is coded in the third group of
the first line of data in the form YYGGId. This is the
date/time group, with YY indicating the day of the
month, and GG indicating the synoptic hour of the
observation. The Id is an indicator that is different in
each code and will be discussed later.
On most reports received via telecommunications
circuits, computers have already read the code
identifier and date/time group and printed a message
header at the top of the bulletin. A single bulletin may
contain several Part A, TEMP SHIP, reports from
different ships, all under a header such as UUAA
211200Z NOV.
The location where the observation was conducted
is identified differently in the various code forms. Ship
observations and mobile land-observation sites are
located by latitude, longitude, and Marsden Square
coordinates, which pinpoint the location. Established
land stations are located only by referencing the
international block and station number (IIiii) on
weather plotting charts or in the Master Weather Station
Catalog.
The identification groups "D. . . .D 99LaLaLa
QcLoLoLoLo MMMULaULo" are used only by
movable observation platforms to identify the
observation platform and the location of the
observation. All ships, mobile observation sites
ashore, and aircraft use these groups. As in the Ship
Synoptic code FM 13-X SHIP, discussed in module 1,
the "D. . . .D" is the call sign of a ship or the call sign or
communications identifier assigned to a mobile unit.
The "99LaLaLa QcLoLoLoLo" groups are the latitude
1-21