afi met bulletins exchange (ambex) handbook - ICAO

AFI Regional SIGMET Guide Page 19/60
Start of the second line of the message
1 2 3 4
FIR/UIR or CTA TC name
FIR [/UIR][CTA]
TC
Observed or forecast
Time Locationof TC
centre
OBS AT Z
[FCST]
Extent
CB TOP [ABV or BLW]
FL WI
KM[NM] OF
CENTRE
5 6 7
Expected movement Intensity change Forecast of the centre position
at the end of the validity period
MOV
KMH[KT]
or STNR
INTSF or WKN or NC FCST Z TC CENTRE
3.4.5.2 Name of the tropical cyclone(Column 2)
TC
The description of the tropical cyclone consists of the abbreviation TC followed by the
international name of the tropical cyclone given by the corresponding WMO RSMC.
Examples:
TC GLORIA
TC 04B
3.4.5.3 Time of observation or indication of forecast(Column 3.1)
OBS AT Z
or
FCST
The time in UTC is given in hours and minutes, followed by the indicator Z. Normally,
time is taken from own observations or from a TC advisory received from the responsible TCAC. If the
TC is not yet observed in the FIR but the tropical cyclone advisory received from the responsible TCAC,
or any other TC forecast used by the MWO, indicates that the TC is going to affect the FIR within the
next 12 hrs, SIGMET should be issued, according to paragraph 2.4 above, and the abbreviation FCST
should be used.
Examples:
OBS AT 2330
September 2007 Amend1/2010 Ninth Edition