Decode information for lighthouse reports
Note: These reports are only available for Pacific coastal waters and originate from observations provided by staffed lightstations, operated by the Canadian Coast Guard in British Columbia.
Lightstation Standard Reports
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 | Group 7 | Group 8 | Group 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARMANAH | OVC | 15 | SW | E | 22G30 | 2FT CHP | LO-MOD SW | OCNL RW- |
Translation:
Carmanah, British Columbia is overcast, visibility of 15 miles, light snow shower, easterly wind 22 knots, gusting 30 knots, 2-foot chop, low to moderate southwest swell, occasional light rain shower.
Each report consists of:
Station Name | Sky Conditions | Visibility | Weather Elements | Wind Direction | Wind Speed | Sea State | Swell | Remarks
Group 1
CARMANAH
Station Name:
Group 2
OVC
Sky Conditions:
CLR (clear); PT CLDY (partly cloudy); CLDY (cloudy); OVC(overcast); - X(partially obscured); and X(obscured)
Group 3
15
Visibility:
In miles
Group 4
SW
Weather Elements:
R (rain); RW (rain shower); S (snow); SW (snow shower); -L (drizzle); F (fog); T (thunder); and A (hail);
Intensity: + (heavy) and - (light)
Group 5
E
Wind Direction:
Eight points of the compass.
Group 6
22G30
Wind Speed:
In knots and sometimes accompanied by gust speed (G)
Group 7
2FT CHP
Sea State:
SMTH (smooth); RPLD (rippled);
CHP, MOD, or RUF (chop, moderate or rough)
Wave height reported in feet.
Group 8
LO-MOD SW
Swell:
LO (0 to 2 metres); MOD (2 to 4 metres); and HVY(greater than 4 metres).
Direction from which the swell is coming.
Group 9
OCNL RW-
Remarks:
Various posibilities. In the case of the example above, occasional light rain shower.
Supplementary Weather Information
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LANGARA | 2030 | CLD EST 15 FEW 25 FEW OVC ABV 25 | 07/ | 02 |
Translation:
Langara , British Columbia observed at 20:30 UTC, 1stlayer of cloud: base estimated at 1500 ft (above ground level) - amount: a few clouds, 2nd layer of cloud: based at 2500 ft - amount: a few clouds, final layer of cloud: overcast above 2500 ft, Temperature: 7, Dew point: 2.
Each report consists of:
Station Name | Time of Observations in UTC | Sky Conditions | Temperature | Dew point
Group 1
LANGARA
Station Name:
Group 2
2030
Time of Observation:
In UTC time
Group 3
CLD EST 15 FEW 25 FEW OVC ABV 25
Sky Conditions:
Consisting of height of the base of cloud layers above ground level (up to 2500 ft) and amount of sky covered for each layer of cloud (note that the height of the base is not mentioned for layers above 2500 ft, but only the amount)
CLR (clear); FEW (few, >1 to 2 eighth’s of the sky covered with cloud); SCT (scattered, 3 to 4 eights of the sky covered with cloud); BKN (broken, 5 to > 8 eights of the sky covered with cloud); OVC (overcast, the sky is covered with cloud)
Group 4
07
Temperature:
In whole degrees Celsius.
Group 5
02
Dew Point:
In whole degrees Celsius.