Page 107 - AFMAN 15-111, 12 MAR 2019

AFMAN15-111 12 MARCH 2019 93

Observed Enter in Remarks Section Manual Automated Supplement Back-up
Condition
Remark
Number

10 Lightning Automated (including Augmented) Observing Locations. X X X
When lightning is detected:

– Within 5 nautical miles of the detector, it will report TS in
the body of the report with no remark;
– Between 5 and 10 nautical miles of the detector, it will report

VCTS in the body of the report with no remark;
– Beyond 10 but less than 30 nautical miles of the detector,
report it as LTG DSNT followed by the direction from the
sensor (e.g., LTG DSNT W).
Manual Observing Locations.

Report lightning type and frequency based on Table 10.3
(e.g. OCNL LTGICCCCG)
11 Beginning and Encode beginning and ending of precipitation in format, X X X

Ending of w’w’B(hh)mmE(hh)mm (FBWOS will encode on all
Precipitation observations up to and including the next METAR with time
encoded in an HHMM format), where w’w’ is the type of
precipitation, B denotes the beginning, E denotes the ending,
and (hh)mm is the time of occurrence (only the minutes are

required if the hour can be inferred from the report time).
There are no spaces between the elements. The encoded
remarks are not required in SPECI and should be reported in
the next METAR. Do not encode intensity qualifiers. For

example, if rain began at 0005, ended at 0030, and snow
began at 0020, and ended at 0055, the remarks would be
encoded "RAB05E30SNB20E55." If the precipitation were
showery, the remark would be encoded
"SHRAB05E30SHSNB20E55."