afi met bulletins exchange (ambex) handbook - ICAO

AFI Regional SIGMET Guide Page4/60
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 5
2. RESPONSIBILITIES AND COORDINATION ..................................................... 6
2.1 General ............................................................................................................ 6
2.2 Meteorological Watch Office - responsibilities and procedures related to SIGMET 6
2.3 Responsibilities of ATS units ......................................................................... 8
2.4 Responsibilities of pilots ................................................................................. 9
2.5 Coordination between MWOs and the TCACs and VAACs .......................... 9
3. PROCEDURES FOR PREPARATION OF SIGMET INFORMATION .......... 10
3.1 General .......................................................................................................... 10
3.2 Types of SIGMET ........................................................................................ 10
3.3 Structure of the SIGMET message ............................................................... 10
3.4 Format of SIGMET ....................................................................................... 11
3.4.1 WMO Header ................................................................................................................ 11
3.4.2 First line of SIGMET .................................................................................................... 12
3.4.3 Format of the meteorological part of SIGMET messages for weather phenomena other
than TC and VA ............................................................................................................ 13
3.4.4 Structure of the meteorological part of VA SIGMET .................................................. 16
3.4.5 Structure of the meteorological part of TC SIGMET .................................................. 18
3.4.6 Cancellation of SIGMET .............................................................................................. 21
3.5 Dissemination ............................................................................................... 22
APPENDIX A: Meteorological Watch Offices ...................................................................... 22
APPENDIX B: Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centres ............................................................. 26
APPENDIX C: Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres ................................................................... 28
APPENDIX D: List of the Abbreviations and Code Words Used in SIGMET ..................... 30
APPENDIX E: Meteorological Phenomena to be Reported by SIGMET ............................. 32
APPENDIX F: Standard for Reporting Geographical Coordinates in SIGMET ................... 33
APPENDIX G: Examples ....................................................................................................... 34
APPENDIX H: WMO Headings for SIGMET Bulletins Used by AFI Meteorological Watch Offices
(MWO) ......................................................................................................... 37
APPENDIX H1: OPERATIONAL UNITS ............................................................................... 37
APPENDIX I: WMO Headings for Tropical Cyclone and Volcanic Ash Advisory Bulletins (FK And
FV) Used by AFI TCAC And VAAC .......................................................... 41
APPENDIX J AFI SIGMET Test Procedures ........................................................................... 43
Ninth Edition September 2007 Amend1/2010