Hi
FCUK12,
What you say makes sense, and does not contradict my main point. [Only applies to airfields that qualify for TREND forecasts.]
But your theory that the word "corrected" is removed (from the amended version of the METAR) - by
whatever agency broadcasts the METARS - is not what seems to be happening in practice. This definitely applies to some agencies that present METARS on the web, and
ls_jet2's comment about the London Volmet is correct (pun not intended).
It is all time-consuming, when you are desperate for an Actual. Whatever
fireflybob says, you can't always get the destination ATIS in time for your descent brief, and not all our colleagues have data links like ACARS. And the ATIS rarely includes a TREND forecast, unless things have changed in the last 6 years.
Here is an up-to-the-minute example from AvBrief:
METAR EGLL 121450Z 28019KT CAVOK 11/M03 Q1005=
METAR COR EGLL 121450Z 28019KT CAVOK 11/M03 Q1005 TEMPO 28020G30KT=
METAR COR EGLL 121420Z 28023KT 9999 FEW049 11/M02 Q1005 TEMPO 28025G35KT=
METAR COR EGLL 121350Z 27024G35KT 9999 SCT049 11/M01 Q1004 NOSIG=
METAR EGLL 121320Z 28022G32KT 9999 FEW049 10/M01 Q1004=
COR EGLL 121320Z 28022G32KT 9999 FEW049 10/M01 Q1004 NOSIG=
METAR EGLL 121250Z 28022G34KT 9999 FEW049 10/M01 Q1003=
COR EGLL 121250Z 28022G34KT 9999 FEW049 10/M01 Q1003 NOSIG=
On the other hand, here are the same group of METARS from ADDS (Aviation Data Digital Service [USA]):
EGLL 121450Z 28019KT CAVOK 11/M03 Q1005 TEMPO 28020G30KT
EGLL 121420Z 28023KT 9999 FEW049 11/M02 Q1005 TEMPO 28025G35KT
EGLL 121350Z 27024G35KT 9999 SCT049 11/M01 Q1004 NOSIG
EGLL 121320Z 28022G32KT 9999 FEW049 10/M01 Q1004
EGLL 121250Z 28022G34KT 9999 FEW049 10/M01 Q1003
You will note that for the 1250 and 1320 METARS, the TRENDs are missing; they have tried to avoid clutter, perhaps; but have either failed to receive the "CORs", or failed to use them when they became available.
The 1450z, however, has come out well.
Now, the UK MetOffice website:
EGLL 121450Z 28019KT CAVOK 11/M03 Q1005 TEMPO 28020G30KT
So the UK Met Office seems to be interpreting its own output of METARs correctly - hardly surprising?
Just copied the LHR 1450z METAR on "
London Volmet Main" (135.375MHz):
"London heathrow at 1450 corrected, Wind two-eight-zero degrees one-niner knots, CAV-O-K, Temperature one-one, Dew-point minus three, Q-N-H one-zero-zero-fife; Tempo- Wind two-eight-zero degrees two-zero knots maximum three-zero knots."
[Sorry, everyone, but the gales now seem to be dying out...] 