Aeronautical Meteorology Services (MET)
Aeronautical meteorology is a branch of meteorology, which provides contribution to aviation safety and cost-efficiency with particular information on condition of atmosphere and forecasts. It also studies impact of meteorological elements and phenomena on aircraft, their technique and exploitation.
Aviation enhanced and gave direction to development of meteorology by setting certain standards in front of this science that make aeronautical meteorology different from other types of this natural science. Those specificities relate to phenomena that largely impact aviation safety and its regularity, and they include severe winds, turbulences, thunderstorms, freezing on aircraft, sudden changes of visibility, etc.
Having that in mind, globally, aeronautical meteorology service units are organised at airports and national, regional and world meteorology centres are established for aviation needs.
Organisation and activity of civil aviation at intercontinental levels, as well as enabling aircraft flight at meteorology level, could not be even imagined without cooperation of all countries that participate in air transport. For that reason, international organisations ICAO and WMO actively cooperate on all matters of selection and distribution of meteorological data and information that are of vital interest for aircraft operations. ICAO expresses needs for meteorological data and information originating from air transport users, while WMO provides scientific and expert explanations on possibility of meeting requirements and needs in form of recommendations, rules, obligations and different instructive materials that are obligatory for all of its member States.
Aeronautical meteorological personnel, composed of aeronautical meteorological forecasters and aeronautical meteorological technicians positioned at Tivat airport and Podgorica airport, is in charge for monitoring weather development in its area of competence, receipt of material for analyses and forecasts, continuous analysing and interpreting of meteorological services that imply: aeronautical meteorological observations and reports, continuous monitoring of meteorological conditions at airport, aeronautical meteorological forecasts and warnings, briefing, consultations and documents for flight, supplying of aviation users with needed meteorological information and exchange of meteorological information.
The very term meteorological information comprehends:
- forecast of wind, temperature and humidity at altitude;
- tropopause level and temperature at that level;
- direction and speed of maximum wind and flight level where it occurs;
- SIGWX of meteorological phenomena;
- cumulonimbus, icing and turbulence;
- METAR or SPECI reports;
- TAF and TREND forecasts;
- SIGMET, AIRMET;
- eGAFOR forecasts;
- warning for airport;
- meteorological satellite images;
- meteorological information from ground radar;
- advisory information on altitude weather.
Aeronautical meteorology services are provided for entire territory of Montenegro, as well as for international waters where Montenegro is responsible for provision of these services, by Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services Agency – SMATSA llc Belgrade.
Section for Communications, Navigation, Surveillance and Information (CNSI) services in air transport and Aeronautical Meteorology (MET) services in Air Navigation Safety division in the Civil Aviation Agency, among other things, conducts tasks related to oversight of providing MET services pursuant to standards and recommendations referred to in ICAO Annex 3 and SARPS and national MET regulations, comprehending services and technical systems of air transport by which aircraft obtain meteorological forecasts, learning about meteorological situation, monitoring, as well as other meteorological information and data for use in aviation; recommends conditions for organising MET services and defines authorisation processes, oversight in functioning, monitoring and application of regulations for MET services, participates international coordination and cooperation related to MET. Control and oversight tasks are conducted regarding provision of aeronautical meteorology services in accordance with regulations, conditions are proposed for organising, i.e. preparations for professional basis in area of providing aeronautical meteorology services and other tasks, from this area.
