This is a free (as in Public Domain -- see the file UNLICENSE) PHP library for parsing METAR aviation weather reports, with TAF aviation forecasts soon to come.

You use the class like this:

  $metar = new \metar_taf\Metar($report);

Where $report is a textual METAR like "EGLL 021250Z 23009KT 9999 SCT023 BKN029 08/06 Q1024".

The Metar class retains the original raw report, but also parses it into a series of semantic parts:

  $metar->airport
  $metar->time
  $metar->auto
  $metar->correction
  $metar->wind
  $metar->visibility
  $metar->rvr
  $meter->weather_types
  $metar->cloud_layers
  $metar->temperature
  $metar->nosig
  $metar->runway_conditions
  $metar->remarks

Many of these are actually their own subclasses with additional functionality.  Read the source for more info, or generate API docs using a JavaDoc-like tool.

There is also a comprehensive PHPUnit testing class to try everything out (including running the class over a collection of over 20,000 worldwide METAR reports collected earlier this year:

  phpunit MetarTest.php

Enjoy!


David Megginson,
2013-07-31