Aviation glossary

What is TAF?

Terminal Aerodrome Forecast

A TAF is a forecast of the expected weather at an aerodrome over a set period, usually 9, 24 or 30 hours.

A TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) describes the weather expected at an aerodrome over its validity period. It uses the same coded format as a METAR, with change groups such as BECMG (becoming), TEMPO (temporary) and PROB (probability) to show how conditions are expected to evolve.

Pilots read the TAF alongside the current METAR when planning: the METAR confirms what is happening now, and the TAF flags any deterioration or improvement to expect during the flight.

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Related terms

METARA METAR is a routine observation of the actual weather currently reported at an aerodrome.CAVOKCAVOK means visibility is 10 km or more, there is no significant cloud below 5,000 ft, and no significant weather: in short, excellent flying conditions.Flight category (VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR)Flight category is a colour-coded summary of conditions (VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR) derived from the cloud ceiling and visibility.

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