iWeather Online synoptics forecaster Fergal Tierney writes: Let's have a look at what the latest aviation forecasts are saying for the main airports up to tomorrow night These forecasts are called TAFs (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts), and are coded text forecasts issued for each airport four times per day, valid for a period of 24 hours. They are generated by forecasters at Shannon Airport (except the one for Belfast, which is generated by the UK Met Office), and represent the conditions expected within a 5 mile radius of the particular airport.
It is therefore important to understand that they may not be fully representative of the wider region, so they should be used as a guide only. They do however give timings for particular phenomena, such as rain, snow, showers, etc., as well as other variables, such as wind, visibility, cloud base, etc.
Here are the latest TAFs issued at 2300Z (2300GMT), and are valid for 24 hrs from midnight
DUBLIN AIRPORT
Moderate Snow Showers from 2pm
SHANNON AIRPORT
Moderate Snow Showers from 3pm
CORK AIRPORT
No snow before midnight Thursday.
CONNAUGHT (KNOCK) AIRPORT
Moderate Snow Showers from midday
BELFAST ALDERGROVE AIRPORT
30% probability of Light Snow Showers from 9am to 3pm, and 40% probability of Moderate Snow Showers thereafter..
EARLIER UPDATE:
Here are the latest TAFs issued at 1700Z (1700GMT), and are valid from 1800 today until 1800 Thursday. I will decode the features relating to precipitation below each one.
DUBLIN AIRPORT (EIDW)
EIDW 151700Z 1518/1618 28010KT 9999 SCT010 BKN020
TEMPO 1518/1605 5000 -DZ BKN010
BECMG 1601/1604 27018G28KT
TEMPO 1605/1612 3000 -RADZ BKN010
BECMG 1610/1612 35015G26KT
BECMG 1612/1614 35012KT SCT020
PROB40
TEMPO 1614/1618 3000 SHSN BKN008 BKN018CB
"Intermittent light drizzle from 6pm Wednesday to 5am Thursday, followed by intermittent light rain and drizzle from 5am to midday. There is a 40% probability of moderate snow showers from 2pm Thursday."
CONNAUGHT AIRPORT (KNOCK, EIKN)
EIKN 151700Z 1518/1618 30010KT 9999 SCT008 BKN015
TEMPO 1518/1602 2000 -DZ BR BKN005
PROB30
TEMPO 1518/1602 0400 FG BKN002
BECMG 1602/1604 29020G30KT 5000 -DZ BKN005
TEMPO 1602/1611 2000 -RADZ BKN003
BECMG 1611/1613 36017G27KT 9999 NSW SCT020 BKN030
TEMPO 1612/1618 1200 SHSN BKN003 BKN016CB
BECMG 1613/1615 36015KT
BECMG 1615/1618 34012KT
"Intermittent light drizzle from 6pm Wednesday to 4am Thursday, and intermittent light rain and drizzle from 2am to 11am. There's a 30% chance of fog from 6pm Wednesday to 2am Thursday. Moderate snow showers from midday Thursday."
SHANNON AIRPORT (EINN)
EINN 151700Z 1518/1618 31007KT 9999 SCT010 BKN020
BECMG 1600/1603 29015KT
BECMG 1603/1606 29020G30KT
TEMPO 1606/1613 3000 -RADZ BKN010
BECMG 1610/1612 35015G26KT
BECMG 1613/1615 01015KT SCT020
PROB40
TEMPO 1615/1618 3000 SHSN BKN012 BKN018CB
BECMG 1615/1618 35010KT
"Intermittent light rain and drizzle from 6am to 1pm Thursday. There's a 40% chance of moderate snow showers from 3pm Thursday."
CORK AIRPORT (EICK)
EICK 151700Z 1518/1618 32007KT 9999 BKN020
BECMG 1603/1606 29017G27KT
TEMPO 1607/1615 3000 -RADZ BKN010
BECMG 1610/1612 33017G27KT
BECMG 1613/1615 35015KT
BECMG 1615/1617 35012KT SCT020
"Intermittent light rain and drizzle from 7am to 3pm Thursday."
BELFAST ALDERGROVE AIRPORT (EGAA)
EGAA 151700Z 1518/1618 28010KT 9999 FEW012 BKN020
PROB40
TEMPO 1518/1604 6000 -RADZ BKN010
BECMG 1522/1601 28017G27KT
PROB30
TEMPO 1604/1609 6000 RA RADZ BKN008
BECMG 1606/1609 35018G28KT
PROB30
TEMPO 1609/1615 3000 -SHSN SHGS
PROB40
TEMPO 1615/1618 1000 SHSN BKN010
"Intermittent light rain and drizzle from 6pm Wednesday to 4am Thursday. There's a 30% chance of moderate rain and/or drizzle from 4am to 9am, and of light snow and graupel showers from 9am to 3pm. There's a 40% chance of moderate snow showers from 3pm."
The next TAFs will be issued at 11pm tonight, valid from midnight tonight to midnight Thursday. To view and decode your own TAFs, click HERE and input the airport code(s)* in the ICAO field. Select "Translated" and "TAFs" and click "Submit".
*
DUBLIN = EIDW
CONNAUGHT (KNOCK) = EIKN
SHANNON = EINN
CORK = EICK
BELFAST ALDERGROVE = EGAA
