SIGMET

SIGMET is a weather warning system for air traffic. The English acronym stands for SIGMET significant meteorological phenomena ( engl. significant meteorological phenomena ).

The warning of flight hazards is issued by the meteorological monitoring site for a particular flight information region ( FIR engl. ). Be aware of the direct or expected occurrence of certain weather phenomena which may affect the safety of aircraft movements; the validity period of up to four hours. The SIGMET warning, the pilot in flight received as air broadcasting via fixed frequencies or already taken into consideration in the flight plan. SIGMET is issued in English and numbered consecutively for each day, starting at 00:01 UTC. The validity period is usually four hours. The SIGMET messages are created by the German Weather Service, relayed to the air traffic control and then broadcast. In Germany, this take on the regional supervisory authorities of the German Air Traffic Control in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich.

For the following hazards SIGMETS be created:

• Active storm zone,
• Strong squall line,
• Strong turbulence,
• Severe icing,
• Strong mountain waves,
• Widespread sandstorm or dust storm,
• Tropical cyclone,
• Volcanic eruption or volcanic ash clouds.