CN
ZSOF
TAF Forecast

Hefei Xinqiao International Airport

ZSOF / HFE

Hefei, CN

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:

TAF ZSOF 040905Z 0412/0512 20004MPS 3000 -RA BKN020 TX30/0507Z TN24/0421Z TEMPO 0420/0424 SHRA FEW030CB

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter	Sat 12:00Z +-1h	Sat 13:00Z +0h	Sat 14:00Z +1h	Sat 15:00Z +2h	Sat 16:00Z +3h	Sat 17:00Z +4h	Sat 18:00Z +5h	Sat 19:00Z +6h	Sat 20:00Z +7h	Sat 21:00Z +8h	Sat 22:00Z +9h	Sat 23:00Z +10h	Sun 00:00Z +11h	Sun 01:00Z +12h	Sun 02:00Z +13h	Sun 03:00Z +14h	Sun 04:00Z +15h	Sun 05:00Z +16h	Sun 06:00Z +17h	Sun 07:00Z +18h	Sun 08:00Z +19h	Sun 09:00Z +20h	Sun 10:00Z +21h
Wind Dir	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
Wind Speed	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
Visibility	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km	3 km
Weather	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Showers Rain SHRA	Showers Rain SHRA	Showers Rain SHRA	Showers Rain SHRA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA	Light Rain -RA
Clouds	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	FEW030CB	FEW030CB	FEW030CB	FEW030CB	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020	BKN020
Ceiling	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	3,000 ft 🌩️ CB Base	3,000 ft 🌩️ CB Base	3,000 ft 🌩️ CB Base	3,000 ft 🌩️ CB Base	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL	2,000 ft AGL
Flight Rules	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	MVFR	MVFR	MVFR	MVFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR	IFR
Day/Night	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day 🌇 19:02Z	☀️ Day 🌇 19:02Z	☀️ Day 🌇 19:02Z	🌙 Night 🌇 19:02Z	🌙 Night 🌇 19:02Z	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night 🌅 04:57Z	🌙 Night 🌅 04:57Z	🌙 Night 🌅 04:57Z	☀️ Day 🌅 04:57Z	☀️ Day 🌅 04:57Z	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day

Flight Rules

VFR: Visual Flight Rules

MVFR: Marginal VFR

IFR: Instrument Flight Rules

LIFR: Low IFR

Ceiling Colors

Red: < 500ft

Amber: 500-1000ft

Blue: 1000-3000ft

Green: > 3000ft

⛈️ TCU: Towering Cumulus

🌩️ CB: Cumulonimbus

+Nh: Hours from now • %: Probability of occurrence • AGL: Above Ground Level

Forecast Periods

BASE

IFR

Visibility

3 km

Weather

Light Rain

Clouds

BKN020

📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Visibility will be moderate at 3 km. Weather conditions: Light Rain. Broken clouds at 2000 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

TEMPO 20:00Z - 00:00Z

MVFR

Weather

Showers Rain

Clouds

FEW030CB

📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Weather conditions: Showers Rain. Few clouds at 3000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

📚 Understanding TAF Forecasts

Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) provides detailed weather forecasts specifically for aviation operations. Our system translates complex meteorological codes into plain English to help pilots of all experience levels understand forecasted conditions.

What TAF Includes:

• Wind direction, speed, and gusts
• Visibility in statute miles or kilometers
• Weather phenomena (rain, snow, fog, thunderstorms)
• Cloud coverage types and altitudes
• Forecast changes with timing
• Flight rules categories (VFR/IFR)

Change Indicators Explained:

• BASE - Main forecast conditions
• FM - Permanent change from specific time
• BECMG - Gradual change over 2-4 hours
• TEMPO - Temporary changes (less than 1 hour)
• PROB30/40 - 30% or 40% probability

🛩️ Flight Rules Categories

VFR

Visual Flight Rules

• Ceiling ≥ 3000 ft
• Visibility ≥ 5 miles
• Good for visual flying

MVFR

Marginal VFR

• Ceiling 1000-3000 ft
• Visibility 3-5 miles
• Caution for VFR

IFR

Instrument Flight Rules

• Ceiling 500-1000 ft
• Visibility 1-3 miles
• Instruments required

LIFR

Low IFR

• Ceiling < 500 ft
• Visibility < 1 mile
• Challenging conditions

💡 TAF Reading Tips

For Student Pilots:

• Focus on the plain English explanations above
• Pay attention to flight rules categories
• Look for wind direction relative to runway headings
• Check for temporary conditions (TEMPO)

For Experienced Pilots:

• Cross-reference with raw TAF for precise timing
• Consider probability forecasts for alternate planning
• Monitor BECMG periods for gradual changes
• Always check current METAR vs TAF forecast

Important: TAF forecasts should always be supplemented with current METAR observations, PIREPs, and other weather information for complete situational awareness. Weather can change rapidly, and forecasts have inherent limitations.