Air Law

MET
Jet stream
Polar front Sub tropical
North of the surface systems Sum 40-45N or 30S
Average height FL300 Win 25-40N or 40S
Fastest over japan FL400 - 70-200Kts

50 – 20NM behind cold

300-500NM ahead warm

QNH defined as QFE reduced to MSL using values of standard atmos

Westerlies = changeable weather

Sum Higher incidence of thunderstorms
Win More intense cyclones and colder air

SIGMET
issued by Met watch office

Europe Cold occlusion in Summer

Warm in Winter

Obscuration = Mist (BR), Fog (FG), Smoke (FU), Volcanic Ash (VA), Dust (DU), Sand (SA),
Haze (HZ)

Visibility

Lowest Highest
FG (0.2/0.5mm) 0m – 1000m
+SN -(1mm) 50m – 200m
DR (0.2/0.5mm) 500m – 3000m
+RA (0.5/5.5mm) -1000m
Mod SN +-1000m
MIST 1000m 5000m
Mod RA 3000m – 5000m

Orographic fog ( hill fog/upslope fog) = moist air lifted on windward side and stable air
= disappears wind direction changes or downslope wind
or by solar radiation

TRS

Atlantic / Eastern Pacific Indian ocean Western Pacific (Aust.) S.Hemis

Hurricanes Cyclones Cylcones (Willy Willy)
17.7x/year (6major) Occasionnally Occasionnally 5 West – 9 East
JU-NO DECA DECA

Western Pacific/South china sea N.Hemis

Typhoons
High occurrence 20x/year
JU-NO

15-20min 20-30min 30min-3h

No precip Heavy precip falling precip continues
Strong updraughts updraughts/downgraughts downdraughts
 GREATEST intensity appearance of anvil

WARM FRONT Before PASSAGE

S/SE wind back/increase
cool/cold slowly warming
pressure falling
gradualy lower clouds CI CS AS NS ST fog
Continous light precip from AS, continuous moderate from NS ; sleet/drizzle
Visi reducing to poor

COLD FRONT before passage

Backing/increase
Steady temp falling rapidly close to frontal surface
steady decrease
ST/SC then NS/CB
light rain/snow from ST/SC – showers close to frontal surface
Visi Fair to poor (haze/fog/mist/drizzle)
Air mass
Cooled from below Stable Heated from Below Unstable (CB, turb, good visi)
Less Water vapor Stable More water vapor Unstable

MONSOON
SW = Sum in africa/india/SE Asia
NE = Win NH
NW = Sum SH

Roaring forties = 40/50S