Abbreviations and codes used in the observer's diary

Table 3: Present weather code and appropriate Beaufort letters or symbols (download PDF version)

Miscellaneous Phenomena
State of Sky
Total Cloud
Code	Beaufort	Description
		Cloud cover measured in octans (eights of the sky)
0 - 2/8	b	0 to 2 octans
3/8 - 5/8	bc	3 to 5 octans
6/8 - 8/8	c	6 to 8 octans
8/8	o	Uniform thick layer completely covering sky
01		Clouds generally dissolving or becoming less developed
02		State of sky generally unchanged
03		Clouds generally forming or developing
04		Visibility reduced by smoke (e.g. industrial smoke, forest fires)
05	z	Haze
06		Widespread dust in suspension in the air (NOT raised by wind) at or near station
07		Dust or sand raised by the wind but no well developed dust- or sand-whirl(s), at or near station
08		Well developed dust- or sand-whirl(s) at or near station, but no dust- or sand-storm seen
09	jkz	Dust- or sand-storm within sight of the station
10	m	Mist
	fs	Shallow fog (or ice fog) at station, not deeper than 2m. over land or 10m. over sea
11		-- in patches
12		-- more or less continuous
13		Lightning seen (but NO thunder heard)
	jp	Precipitation in sight (but not at station)
14		-- NOT reaching the ground or surface of sea
15		-- reaching the ground or surface of the sea, but at a distance of not less than about 3 miles
16		-- reaching the ground or surface of the sea near to (but not at) the station
17	t	Thunderstorm WITHOUT precipitation at the station
18	q	Squalls at or within sight of the station
19		Funnel cloud(s) (e.g. water-spout, tornado cloud) at or within sight of the station
Phenomena ceased during the proceeding hour
20		Drizzle (not freezing) OR snow grains
21		Rain (not freezing)
22		Snow (in flakes)
23		Rain and snow (sleet) OR ice pellets
24		Freezing drizzle OR freezing rain
25		Shower(s) of rain
26		Shower(s) of snow (in flakes) OR of snow and rain (sleet)
27		Shower(s) of hail, small hail OR of rain and hail
28		Fog (or ice fog), i.e. visibility LESS THAN 1000m due to water particles or ice crystals
29		Thunderstorm (with OR without precipitation)
SAND OR DUST STORMS
	kzo	Slight
	kz	or Moderate
30		has decreased in the past hour
31		no appreciable change
32		has begun or increased in the past hour
	KZ	Severe
33		has decreased in the past hour
34		no appreciable change
35		has begun or increased in the past hour
DRIFTING or BLOWING SNOW
36	↓kso	Slight
	↓ks	or Moderate drifting snow, generally low
37	↓KS	Heavy drifting snow, generally low
38	↑kso	Slight
	↑ks	or Moderate blowing snow, generally high
39	↑KS	Heavy blowing snow, generally high
FOG (or ICE FOG)
The Beaufort letter for fog depends upon its density:
0 m - 199 m = F ; 200 m -999 m = f
40	jf	Fog at a distance (not at station in past hour)
	Visibility LESS THAN 1000m due predominantly to water droplets (or ice crystals)
41	if	Fog in patches
Has become THINNER in past hour
42		sky/clouds discernible
43		sky/clouds obscured
No appreciable change in preceeding hour
44		sky/clouds discernible
45		sky/clouds obscured
Has formed or become THICKER in preceding hour
46		sky/clouds discernible
47		sky/clouds obscured
FOG DEPOSITING RIME
48		sky/clouds discernible
49		sky/clouds obscured
DRIZZLE
Slight
50	ido	intermittent
51	dodo	continuous
Moderate
52	id	intermittent
53	dd	continuous
Heavy
54	iD	intermittent
55	DD	continuous
FREEZING DRIZZLE
56		slight
57		moderate or heavy
DRIZZLE with RAIN
58	doro	slight
59	dr	moderate
	DR	or heavy
RAIN
Slight
70	iro	intermittent
71	soso	continuous
Moderate
72	is	intermittent
73	SS	continuous
Heavy
74	iS	intermittent
75	SS	continuous
FREEZING RAIN
66		slight
67		moderate or heavy
RAIN (or drizzle) WITH SNOW (SLEET)
68	roso or doso	slight
69	rs or ds	moderate
	RS or DS	or heavy
SNOW (FLAKES)
70	iso	intermittent
71	soso	continuous
Moderate
72	is	intermittent
73	ss	continuous
Heavy
74	iS	intermittent
75	SS	continuous
SNOW GRAINS, ICE PELLETS etc
76		Ice prisms
77	sh	Snow grains
78		Isolated star-like snow crystals
79		Ice pellets
SHOWER(S)
of RAIN
80	pro	slight
81	pr	moderate
	PR	or heavy
82	PR	violent
of RAIN and SNOW (SLEET)
83	proso	slight
84	prs	moderate
	PRS	or heavy
of SNOW (FLAKES)
85	pso	slight
86	ps	moderate
	PS	or heavy
of SNOW PELLETS, or SMALL HAIL with or without rain or sleet
87		slight
88		moderate or heavy
of HAIL with or without rain or sleet
89	pho	slight
90	ph	moderate
	PH	or heavy
THUNDERY CONDITIONS
A thunderstorm without any precipitation is reported by code figure 17
Thunderstorm CEASED in past hour: PRECIPITATION CONTINUING
91		slight rain
92		moderate/heavy rain
93		slight snow/sleet/hail
94		mod/heavy snow/sleet/hail
THUNDERSTORM WITH PRECIPITATION both at time of observation
Thunderstorm* with ...
95	tiro(So)	rain and/or snow (flakes), slight
95	tir(S)	or moderate
96	tlho	hail**, slight
96	tlh	or moderate
97	TLR(S)	rain and/or snow (flakes), heavy
98	tlkz	dust- or sand-storm
99	TLH	hail**, heavy
*The intensity refers to thundery conditions not to the precipitation
**Hail here includes hail, small hail and snow pellets