Metar Decode

[bboy]

Can someone please enlighten me with the last two items on the following METAR:

METAR.......242230Z 20004KT 9999 SCT005 SCT010 25/24 Q1002
RMK RERA RF00.0/203.6 BV:13.5 IT:31.9

Cheers

[Pharcarnell]

The METAR probably comes from an AWS.
BV, Battery volts, so its probably a solar powered site.
IT, internal temperature, from a sensor on the equipment board to tell how stressed the equipment is.
These should be suppressed by the filters before the message gets out but sometimes they get missed. Oops.
Out of interest, what site was the report from???

[Arm out the window]

That's exactly what the met bureau want you to think, Pharcarnell...it's really a confidential code used within the bureau; not many people know this.
BV stands for Believability Value, expressed as a percentage of how close the METAR readings would be to the real weather, in this case there's a 13.5% chance of it being right.
IT stands for Insidious Thunderstorms, and likewise is the percentage chance that a big CB will appear without warning at a destination that is forecast to be fine - not too bad here, but often gets up to the high 80s or beyond.

[bboy]

It was from YBMK.

Thanks for both answers.

I think I prefer the second one.;)

[Pharcarnell]

Maaate, you really need to get your paranoia seen to.
Although it certainly raised a lot of chuckles in the office when I showed it around.

[voodooman]

AOTW,
Thanks for the early morning laugh. You know you're probably not far of the money!

[Arm out the window]

No worries...I should also mention that it's just a bit of good natured banter; I actually reckon that the met bureau do a top job under the circumstances (trying to predict the well nigh unpredictable)!