SYN ReportThis element defines a surface observation report from a land or sea station, either stationary or drifting or moving. Report's data are distributed in a synoptic code: FM 12-X Ext SYNOP (fixed land station), FM 13-X SHIP, FM 18-X BUOY (drifting or moored).
"The synoptic code is the WMO standard method for transmitting surface weather information via communications circuits. It is universal in that there are formats for data collected in several units (for wind speed), contains no plain language information (i.e., it is entirely numeric), is always in the same format, etc. There are allowances for each individual country to include national data which are not necessarily of interest to the rest of the world. This code has its own tables, etc., which are for the most part different from those used in the airways code, but is much more systematic... The official reference for taking the surface observation for any observer in the United States is the Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 1, published jointly by the US Departments of Commerce (NWS), Transportation (FAA), and Defense (AWS/Navy). The complete synoptic code is described in the Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 2 (same publishers as above)."
"The synoptic surface data is reported worldwide every 6 hours. This is the global standard for reporting surface data and thus better global coverage can be obtained by using synoptic data. The U.S. on the other hand does not use synoptic format and thus these reports should be augmented with U.S METAR reports."
Raw synoptic reports are highly encoded, which obscures the meaning of data and impedes their usage. Without consulting special coding tables, the information in these reports is inaccessible. The OMF is to redress this situation by annotating raw reports with decoded information, in conventional and self-evident units. The decoded information is the same as extracted by other popular decoding systems: WXP, Florida State's Department of Meteorology, and British Antarctic Survey's decoders. The pieces of the original report that are not parsed -- mostly regional codes -- are identified as such.
The OMF markup described in this document only annotates the raw text of synoptic reports, without altering them or omitting a single letter. An annotated SYN document arranges the information in a logical sequence, which is most suitable for further analysis. Yet it is always possible to reconstruct the original report in its entirety. In case of a coding or transmission error, the corresponding data are marked with a specific tag. It is up to an application then to try to correct the error and salvage whatever data possible.
| XML DTD | |
|---|---|
<!ELEMENT SYN ( SYID, SYCODE?, SYG?, SYSEA? ) > |
TStamp |
||
|---|---|---|
| Time Stamp of the observation | ||
LatLon |
||
| Location of a point where the observation was taken | ||
BId |
||
| Station identification group
For a buoy or other observation platform, this id is a combination of a WMO region number, subarea number (per WMO Code Table 0161), and the buoy type and serial number. This information is reported in Section 0 of a synoptic report. If Section 0 contains a call sign rather than a numerical id (as typical with FM 13 SHIP reports), the | ||
SName |
||
| Ship's call sign, if any | ||
Title |
||
Type of the original report this SYN element annotates
|
| |
The three reports above carry basically the same type of data, which are annotated in a SYN element. This Title attribute tells which particular report the information came from [See WMO Code table 2582]
| ||
SType |
||
| Station type | "AUTO" or "MANN"; the latter is assumed if omitted
| |
| Type of station operation: automatic or manned. The latter is assumed by default. | ||
Elev |
||
| The height of the station relative to the sea level, in whole meters. May be omitted if unknown. This attribute is never specified when annotating SHIP or BUOY reports as the corresponding stations are always at sea level. | ||
<!ATTLIST SYN %TStamp; %LatLon; %BId; %SName; %Elev; Title (AAXX | BBXX | ZZYY) #REQUIRED SType (AUTO | MANN) "MANN" > |
SYID ElementThe SYID element annotates identification and position data, which constitute Section 0 of FM 12, 13, 18. Attributes of this element provide information on instruments and measurement procedures that were used to perform the observation. An FM 18-X BUOY report has a number of quality control indicators in many sections. These indicators are annotated in the SYID section as well.
| XML DTD | |
|---|---|
<!ELEMENT SYID (#PCDATA)> |
WS |
||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator for wind speed units and instrument certification | "0", "1", "3", "4", or omitted
| |
iW code
| ||
<!ATTLIST SYID WS (0|1|3|4) #IMPLIED > |
SYCODE ElementThe SYCODE element marks up those tokens of the original message that are unparsed or cannot be parsed. Currently Sections 4 and 5 of synoptic reports, which contain regional or national-specific codes, are not parsed. Occasionally some of report's data cannot be parsed because they were wrongly encoded or garbled during transmission.
Regardless of the reason, the unparsed parts of a report are thus clearly identified so an application may attempt to extract or salvage whatever information possible. The present markup format does not correct or modify these unparsed pieces, and does not annotate them any further. The unparsed tokens identified by a SYCODE element always occur at the very end of a report. This implies that there may be at most one SYCODE element within a single SYN report.
| XML DTD | |
|---|---|
<!ELEMENT SYCODE (#PCDATA)> |
SYG ElementThe SYG element describes the basic set of meteorological conditions. The body of the element is Section 1 and Section 3 (if present) from the original report. Element's attributes spell out most of this information in "plain text". Some of this information (mostly some climatic data, and regional and special codes) is not decoded.
| XML DTD | |
|---|---|
<!ELEMENT SYG (#PCDATA)> |
T |
||
|---|---|---|
| the air temperature | a positive, zero or negative number, in degrees Celsius; may be omitted
| |
TD |
||
| the dew-point temperature | a positive, zero or negative number, in degrees Celsius; may be omitted
| |
Hum |
||
| relative humidity | a non-negative number, in percent | |
| Only one of the attributes -- dew point or relative humidity -- may be specified. | ||
Tmm |
||
| extreme temperatures over previous 24 hours | a string of a form "mmmm, MMMM" or omitted
| |
where mmmm is the minimum and MMMM is the maximum temperatures, observed over previous 24 hours. Both numbers are signed decimal numbers with possibly one decimal fraction digit, in degrees Celsius. Each of the numbers may be omitted if were not reported.
| ||
P |
||
| atmospheric pressure at station level | a positive number, in hPa; may be omitted
| |
P0 |
||
| atmospheric pressure at sea level | a positive number, in hPa; may be omitted
| |
If a station is at sea level (as all ships and buoys are) and reports both station pressure and sea-level pressure, only P0 attribute will be present.
| ||
Pd |
||
| pressure tendency during the three hours preceding the time of observation | a string of a form "a ddd" or omitted
| |
One digit a is a characteristic of pressure change, see WMO Code tables.
ddd is the amount of pressure change, a signed number, in whole and fractional hPa.
| ||
Ceiling |
||
| Cloud Ceiling | a number of feet, omitted, or a special token "INF"
| |
If the total cloud cover is 4 octas or less, the cloud ceiling is "INF". Otherwise, it is the cloud base of lowest cloud seen (feet above ground) -- the lower bound of the corresponding range of heights in WMO Code Table 1600.
| ||
Vis |
||
| Horizontal Visibility at surface | a number of meters, omitted, or a special token "INF"
| |
Wind |
||
| wind vector | a string of a form "nnn, mm" or omitted
| |
Here nnn is a true direction from which the wind is blowing, in degrees, or VAR if " the wind is variable, or all directions or unknown or waves confused, direction indeterminate." This is an integer number within [0,360), with 0 meaning the wind is blowing from the true North, 270 stands for the wind blowing from the West. Normally this number has a precision of 10 degrees.
mm is the wind speed in meters per second.
| ||
WX |
||
| past and present weather conditions and phenomena | a string of four digits, "NOSIG", or omitted
| |
See Code tables 4677 and 4561 for the meaning of the four digits. This attribute is coded as "NOSIG" if there is no significant phenomenon to report. The attribute is omitted if not observed or data is not available (see ix indicator, Code table 1860).
| ||
Prec |
||
| precipitation amount | a string of a form "nnn, hh" or "" or omitted
| |
Here nnn is the amount of precipitation which has fallen during the period preceding the time of observation. The precipitation amount is a non-negative decimal number, in mm. hh is the duration of the period in which the reported precipitation occurred, in whole hours. This attribute is encoded as "" if no precipitation was observed. The attribute is omitted if unknown or not available (see iR indicator, Code table 1819). Sea stations typically never report precipitation.
| ||
Clouds |
||
| amount and type of cloud cover | a string of five symbols "tplmh" or omitted
| |
| The first digit is the total cloud cover in octas (Code table 2700). The second digit is the cloud cover of the lowest clouds, in octas. The other three symbols are types of low, middle, and high clouds, resp. See WMO Code tables for more details. | ||
<!ATTLIST SYG T NMTOKEN #IMPLIED TD NMTOKEN #IMPLIED Hum NMTOKEN #IMPLIED Tmm CDATA #IMPLIED P NMTOKEN #IMPLIED P0 NMTOKEN #IMPLIED Pd NMTOKENS #IMPLIED Vis NMTOKEN #IMPLIED Ceiling NMTOKEN #IMPLIED Wind CDATA #IMPLIED WX CDATA #IMPLIED Prec CDATA #IMPLIED Clouds CDATA #IMPLIED > |
SYSEA ElementThe SYSEA element reports information on sea surface conditions -- both in a raw and decoded formats. It is obviously present only when annotating SHIP and BUOY reports. The body of the element is the encoded information about sea conditions exactly as it appeared in a raw report, Section 2. A number of attributes present element's encoded data in a fully-decoded, self-contained format. Although all of Section 2 of the original report is carried in a SYSEA element, not all of it is decoded.
| XML DTD | |
|---|---|
<!ELEMENT SYSEA (#PCDATA)> |
T |
||
|---|---|---|
| the sea surface temperature | a positive, zero or negative number, in degrees Celsius; may be omitted
| |
Wave |
||
| sea wave height and period | a string of a form "pp, hh" or omitted.
| |
where pp is the period of wind waves in seconds. The number hh is the height of wind waves, in meters. If a report carries both estimated and measured wind wave data, the instrumented information is preferred.
| ||
SDir |
||
| Ship's direction and speed | a string of a form "nnn, mm" or omitted.
| |
Here nnn is a true direction of resultant displacement of the ship
during the three hours preceding the time of observation. The number is in degrees,
or VAR if "variable, or all directions or unknown or waves confused, direction indeterminate." This is an integer number within [0,360), with 0 meaning the ship has moved towards the true North, 270 stands for the ship has moved to the West. Normally this number has a precision of 45 degrees.
mm is the average speed made good during the three hours preceding the time of observation, in meters per second.
| ||
<!ATTLIST SYSEA T NMTOKEN #IMPLIED Wave CDATA #IMPLIED SDir CDATA #IMPLIED > |
AAXX 16124^M^M
47402 16/// /0225 10134 20118 39950 49959 56023 60692 333 10150=^M^M
47606 1//59 /2009 10207 20197 39985 40000 53042 60072 78180 333^M^M
10274=^M^M
47115 11650 80516 10176 20141 39844 40104 52020 60092 71022 8552/^M^M
333 10189 31017 55000 70126 92064=^M^M
AAXX 16124^M^M
46696 11563 10605 10256 20200 30097 40108 53014 69902 72161 81530^M^M
333 10312 555 81630 00990=^M^M
BBXX^M^M
ZSUY 26123 99172 30042 41398 81414 10210 20132 40205 5//// 70222^M^M
881// 22275 00170 20301 316// 40503 5//// 80165=^M^M
ZCCV5 26123 99238 50305 41498 71419 10215 20175 40207 54002 70222^M^M
87500 22233 02233 20302 309// 40604 80190=^M^M
WST9756 26124 99160 70317 41497 60620 10250 2018/ 40184 51024^M^M
70321 84321 22263 00274 20304 305// 40605 5//// 6//// 80205 ICE^M^M
/////=^M^M
ZZYY 56540 26108 0846/ 332193 114274 6113/^M^M
11119 0//// 30205 40205^M^M
444 2013/ 26108 1007/ 90000=^M^M
ZZYY 56901 16098 0848/ 318827 107832 6112/^M^M
11119 0//// 30143 40143 52001^M^M
22219 00246^M^M
444 2012/ 15098 2307/ 90015=^M^M
|
This sample would be represented as
<!DOCTYPE OMF SYSTEM "http://zowie.metnet.navy.mil/~spawar/JMV-TNG/XML/OMF.dtd"> <Reports TStamp="914456730"> <SYN Title='AAXX' TStamp='908539200' LatLon='44.933, 142.583' BId='474020' SName=', KITAMIESASH' SType='AUTO' Elev='8'> <SYID WS='4'>16124 47402</SYID> <SYG Wind='20, 12' T='13.4' TD='11.8' P='995.0' P0='995.9' Pd='6 -2.3' Prec='69, 12' Tmm=', 15.0'>16/// /0225 10134 20118 39950 49959 56023 60692 333 10150</SYG> </SYN> <SYN Title='AAXX' TStamp='908539200' LatLon='36.783, 137.050' BId='476060' SName=', FUSHIK' SType='AUTO'> <SYID WS='4'>16124 47606</SYID> <SYG Vis='9000' Wind='200, 4' T='20.7' TD='19.7' P='998.5' P0='1000.0' Pd='3 4.2' Prec='7, 12' WX='8180' Tmm=', 27.4'>1//59 /2009 10207 20197 39985 40000 53042 60072 78180 333 10274</SYG> </SYN> <SYN Title='AAXX' TStamp='908539200' LatLon='37.483, 130.900' BId='471150' SName=', ULLUNGDO ISLAND' Elev='223'> <SYID WS='4'>16124 47115</SYID> <SYG Ceiling='3000' Vis='5000' Wind='50, 8' T='17.6' TD='14.1' P='984.4' P0='1010.4' Pd='2 2.0' Prec='9, 12' WX='1022' Tmm=', 18.9' Clouds='8552/'>11650 80516 10176 20141 39844 40104 52020 60092 71022 8552/ 333 10189 31017 55000 70126 92064</SYG> </SYN> <SYN Title='AAXX' TStamp='908539200' LatLon='25.066, 121.550' BId='466960' SName='RCSS, SUNGSHAN/TAIPE' Elev='6'> <SYID WS='4'>16124 46696</SYID> <SYCODE>555 81630 00990</SYCODE> <SYG Ceiling='INF' Vis='13000' Wind='60, 2' T='25.6' TD='20.0' P='1009.7' P0='1010.8' Pd='3 1.4' Prec='0.0, 12' WX='2161' Tmm=', 31.2' Clouds='11530'>11563 10605 10256 20200 30097 40108 53014 69902 72161 81530 333 10312</SYG> </SYN> <SYN Title='BBXX' TStamp='909403200' LatLon='-17.200, 4.200' BId='2670371' SName='ZSUY, '> <SYID WS='3'>26123 99172 30042</SYID> <SYG Ceiling='600' Vis='20000' Wind='140, 7' T='21.0' TD='13.2' P0='1020.5' WX='0222' Clouds='881//'>41398 81414 10210 20132 40205 5//// 70222 881//</SYG> <SYSEA SDir='315, 10' T='17.0' Wave='3, 0.5'>22275 00170 20301 316// 40503 5//// 80165</SYSEA> </SYN> <SYN Title='BBXX' TStamp='909403200' LatLon='-23.800, -30.500' BId='60363114' SName='ZCCV5, '> <SYID WS='3'>26123 99238 50305</SYID> <SYG Ceiling='900' Vis='20000' Wind='140, 9' T='21.5' TD='17.5' P0='1020.7' Pd='4 0.2' WX='0222' Clouds='77500'>41498 71419 10215 20175 40207 54002 70222 87500</SYG> <SYSEA SDir='135, 6' T='23.3' Wave='3, 1.0'>22233 02233 20302 309// 40604 80190</SYSEA> </SYN> <SYN Title='BBXX' TStamp='909403200' LatLon='16.000, -31.700' BId='533265331' SName='WST9756, '> <SYID WS='4'>26124 99160 70317</SYID> <SYG Ceiling='900' Vis='10000' Wind='60, 10' T='25.0' TD='18.0' P0='1018.4' Pd='1 2.4' WX='0321' Clouds='64321'>41497 60620 10250 2018/ 40184 51024 70321 84321</SYG> <SYSEA SDir='270, 6' T='27.4' Wave='3, 2.0'>22263 00274 20304 305// 40605 5//// 6//// 80205 ICE /////</SYSEA> </SYN> <SYN Title='ZZYY' TStamp='909391560' LatLon='-32.193, 114.274' BId='56540' SName=', ' SType='AUTO'> <SYID>26108 0846/ 332193 114274 6113/</SYID> <SYCODE>444 2013/ 26108 1007/ 90000</SYCODE> <SYG P='1020.5'>11119 0//// 30205 40205</SYG> </SYN> <SYN Title='ZZYY' TStamp='905935680' LatLon='-18.827, 107.832' BId='56901' SName=', ' SType='AUTO'> <SYID>16098 0848/ 318827 107832 6112/</SYID> <SYCODE>444 2012/ 15098 2307/ 90015</SYCODE> <SYG P='1014.3' Pd='2 0.1'>11119 0//// 30143 40143 52001</SYG> <SYSEA T='24.6'>22219 00246</SYSEA> </SYN> </Reports> |
FM 12-X Ext SYNOP
http://www.zetnet.co.uk/sigs/weather/Met_Codes/syn_code.htm
http://wxp.eas.purdue.edu/wxp/Appendices/Formats/SYNOP.html
FM 13-X SHIP synoptic code format
http://waves.ncdc.noaa.gov/ship/sec3-ch1.htm
a part of Ship Manual (COMNAVMETOCCOMINST 3144.1D)
http://waves.ncdc.noaa.gov/ship/toc.htm#I1
See also
http://wxp.eas.purdue.edu/wxp/Appendices/Formats/SYNOP.html
FM 18-X BUOY
http://www.zetnet.co.uk/sigs/weather/Met_Codes/boy_code.htm
Antarctic Meteorology Online from the British Antarctic Survey
http://www.nerc-bas.ac.uk/public/icd/metlog/
They use a set of Perl scripts to decode synoptic reports and store them in a Oracle database:
"If you are interested in a complex, easy-to-use (or so I pride myself) interface to our longer-term archives, look at the interface to our oracle database. "Compare this with Metcast databases and web interfaces (below). We do a much thorough job.
OMF DTD
The OMF Data Definition Document in XML format
Query for the latest SHIP and BUOY observation reports
http://zowie.metnet.navy.mil/cgi-bin/oleg/get-synsea
The reports are presented in the OMF format described in this document.
This site's top page is
http://zowie.metnet.navy.mil/~spawar/JMV-TNG/
oleg@pobox.com or oleg@acm.org