SYNOPTIC OBSERVATIONS
DECODING & PLOTTING
ENCODING WEATHER
INFORMATION
In order for people to send information around
the world using the WMO discussed earlier the
information has to be in a language understood
by everyone around the world.
In order to do this we encode the information
into a series of numbers known as the “SYNOP
CODE”.
SYNOP CODE
Here is an example of a coded weather
message;
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064
40007 58012 72165 8682/ =
The SYNOP code.
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064 40007 58012 72165 8682/
03535
Identifies which country the
observation is from and which
weather station.
03 means the UK.
535 means Birmingham.
The SYNOP code.
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064 40007 58012 72165 8682/
41470
Identifies a manned/unmanned weather
station.
Identifies lowest cloud base/visibility.
41 means the station is manned
4 means height of lowest cloud base
using the “h” code 4 = 1000 – 2000 feet.
70 refers to minimum visibility using the
VV code
70 = 20km
The SYNOP code.
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064 40007 58012 72165 8682/
82312
8 identifies cloud cover in Oktas (eighths)
using the N code 8 = total cloud cover.
23 identifies wind direction in tens of
degrees,relative to true north 23 = 230°.
12 = Wind speed in knots.
The SYNOP code
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064 40007 58012 72165 8682/
10077
1 Identifies the dry bulb (air) temperature group.
0 indicates that value is above freezing 1 = below
freezing.
077 Air temp in degrees and tenths (I.e. temp is
+07.7°C)
The SYNOP code.
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064 40007 58012 72165 8682/
20064
2 Identifies Dew Point Temp group.
0 indicates temp is above freezing
1 = below freezing.
Dew point temp in degrees and
tenths
(i.e. DP temp = + 06.4°C).
The SYNOP code
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064 40007 58012 72165 8682/
40007
4 Identifies Mean Sea Level (Pressure) group.
0007 Indicates MSL pressure is 1000.7mb
The 1 when plotting is not used when the
pressure is greater than < 1000 mb.
When the pressure is less than > 1000mb all
four figures can be included,
e.g. 999.9 would read 49999
(Generally pressure is between 950.0-1050.0mb
The SYNOP code
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064 40007 58012 72165 8682/
58012
5 Identifier of the pressure tendency group.
8 The characteristic (the way the pressure has
changed) over the past 3 hours. Using the A code.
012 Amount of change over the past 3 hours
Is expressed in degrees and tenths (I.e. 01.2mb)
The SYNOP code
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064 40007 58012 72165 8682/
72165
7 Identifies Present and Past weather.
21Present weather using WW code means rain
during the past hour(dph).
(But it wasn’t raining at the time of the ob’s).
6 & 5 To be used individually & refer to weather from
the past 6 hours. (Worst weather first).
Using W1 W2 code 6 = past rain 5 = past drizzle.
The SYNOP code
03535 41470 82312 10077 20064 40007 58012 72165 8682/
8682/
8 Identifies the cloud data group
6 Amount of lowest cloud type in Oktas.
(check with “h” figure in the 2nd group).
8 Predominant low cloud.
8 = Cumulus and Stratocumulus.
2 Predominant medium cloud 2 = Dense Altostratus.
/ Predominant high cloud cannot be reported as it is
obscured by lower cloud.
Present Weather Terms
Precipitation means water droplets or ice particles, formed at
a higher level and dropping to the ground.
Continuous: Precipitation that has been falling continuously for at
least 60 minutes, with no breaks.
Intermittent: Precipitation that has been falling for at least 60
minutes, but there has been a break or breaks, or precipitation
commenced less than 60 minutes ago.
Showers: Precipitation that starts or stops abruptly, usually of short
duration, often associated with bright periods between showers with
good visibility.
Present Weather Terms
At the station: At the place where observations are
taken.
Within sight or At a distance: Phenomena not occurring
at the station, but occurring in the vicinity.
During the past hour (dph): Phenomena occurring since
the last observation, but NOT at the time of the current
observation or a phenomena STOPS during the
observation of present weather.
ENCODING OUR
OBSERVATIONS
Now we will encode our
observations into the SYNOP
Code.
Station Plots
Station Plots
Station plots are used to show large amounts
of meteorological information in as small an
area as possible to build up charts.
The charts use simple symbols to show
information
The plot is based around one of two shapes.
CIRCLES are for manual observations,
TRIANGLES for automatic observations.
Station Plots
High Cloud plotted in Red.
Dew Point in Red.
Pressure is plotted with the last 3 figures only, for
example:
1032.6 is 326
998.6 is 986
Falling pressure tendency in Red, steady or rising in
Black.
Sea temperature in Black
Visibility in Red
All others in Black.
The Station Circle.
Black ink to be used unless otherwise stated.
Wind speed/
direction High Cloud C
h
Medium Cloud C
m
Air Temp TT MSL Pressure
(Dry bulb) pppp
Visibility Present Total Cloud Pressure Tendency
vv weather appp
ww In Okta’s N
(Red ink if falling!)
Dew Point Past weather
TdTd W1 W2
Low Cloud C L
Amount of Height of
Low cloud N / Low cloud h
Present Weather Symbols
Present weather
symbols are obtained
from the synop code
description of the
weather.
First number down the
side second on the
top.
56 (Slight freezing
drizzle) =
Other Plotting Symbols
Other plotting
symbols are shown
in a similar way.
The code part is
across the top with
the code number on
the left.
Low cloud type 3
(Cb) would be
Station Circle
03535 41470 82312 10077 40007 58012 72165 8682/
High Cloud
Air temp Medium Cloud
Dry Bulb
077 Pressure(MSL)
007
Visibility
70 012 Pressure tendency
Present Weather
Past Weather
064
Dew Point
Low Cloud
Wind speed/Direction
6/4
Station Circle Completed.
Wind 360° 25 Knots
Air temperature 09.6° MSL Pressure 1007.3
Pressure change 1.6mb
Pressure rising
Present weather
Showers during past hour then falling
Dew point 08.1° C Past weather Showers and rain
Low cloud
5/8 Oktas Cumulonimbus 1000 – 2000ft
