This archive contains answers to questions sent to Unidata support through mid-2025. Note that the archive is no longer being updated. We provide the archive for reference; many of the answers presented here remain technically correct, even if somewhat outdated. For the most up-to-date information on the use of NSF Unidata software and data services, please consult the Software Documentation first.
John, Christmas island METARs are being sent under the headers such as: SAKB31 PLCH The sfmetar_sa.tbl will need the PLCH location added in order to include these in the decoded output file (just add the PLCH line that you can find in the $GEMTBL/stns/inactive.tbl file). TAF messages (eg bulletins starting with "FT" are decoded with dctaf). The $GEMTBL/stns/tafstn.tbl has several of the islands like Palau and Yap but not Christmas. The sfchck program can be used to show if the decoded taf station files have any missing station identifies, and nothing there shows up for Christmas. If you are looking for synoptic reports, then I do find 91490 in the data stream (It is decoded in the synop files from dclsfc using the 6 digit identifier 91490): lsfstns.tbl:PLCH 914900 CHRISTMAS ISLAND/CASSIDY -- US 198 -15748 The bulletins are in the NGTT dissemination group: 905 SMKB01 NGTT 290600 AAXX 29064 91490 11599 29901 10264 2023/ 40092 60001 70121 82100 333 569//= Are you really looking for TAF's or were you interested in obs? Steve Chiswell Unidata User Support > Hello, Steve: > We're doing some work at a remote site, Christmas > Island, and I'm therefore interested in data access. > I know that METAR reports are made there, but I'm > not finding them in the .taf files (I went to Mother > Lode in this case). Can you suggest another way? > Should this question go to someone else? The station > id is 91490 or 91492. I tried an area search that > could have included other islands, but found nothing > until I got to Hawaii. (I didn't expect Christmas > in the sao files, and didn't find it.) Thanks for any > help or suggestions you may have. Oh, it may be > relevant that the venerable World Monthly Surface > Climatology (from NCDC, availalbe at NCAR/DSS) has > only two years of data for Christmas, long ago. > John M. > > Ticket Details =================== Ticket ID: NJJ-918786 Department: Support GEMPAK Priority: Normal Status: Closed