SADIS WAFS OpMet API Data service 1.0.0
Current JSON

Abstract

The SADIS World Area Forecast Service (WAFS) OpMet API Data service supplies packaged bulletins of meteorological observations data in response to tailored API requests submitted by an end user. This data is provided under the remit of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and can be used to support activities related to aviation. Responses to API requests may be in the form of API codes, JSON payloads or HTTP re-directs to payloads of data.

The SADIS API is operated by the Met Office in its role as World Area Forecast Centre (WAFC) London, and is primarily available to users located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

WAFS data sets can be used for:

  • Flight planning (and therefore reducing fuel burn) 
  • Reducing C02 emissions 
  • Hazard awareness and avoidance

The WAFS OPMET API data is provided in accordance with ICAO Annex 3 – Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation and the PANS-MET – Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Meteorology (Doc 10157 due for introduction in November 2025) and can comprise of METARS, TAFS, AIRMET, SIGMET, Volcanic Ash, Tropical Cyclone, Nuclear emergency messages, NOTAMs and GAMETS

  • OPMET reports in packets of 5 minutes in traditional alphanumeric code (TAC) and IWXXM data formats, for the time period between T0 and T-36hrs. Data can be requested and provisioned for the following geographical spatial areas: GLOBAL, EUR-NAT, NAM-CAR, SAM, AFI, MID, ASIA-PAC
  • Information can be requested and provisioned in .json format relating to the operation/mechanics of the API, this also includes the co-ordinates of the polygons used to describe the geographical spatial areas
  • OPMET advisory reports for GLOBAL geographic spatial areas in packets of 30 minutes in traditional alphanumeric code (TAC) and IWXXM format, for the time period between T0 and T-36hrs.
  • Notices

SADIS WAFS OPMET API Data (the service) is part of the SADIS API family of offerings developed by the Met Office, which use the Open Geospatial Consortium Environmental Data Retrieval (OGC-EDR) framework. SADIS API includes:

  • SADIS WAFS Gridded Data API
  • SADIS WAFS-SIGWX API

The service organises the OPMET bulletin data sets into collections that allow users to request data for specific file types, spatial coverage areas, temporal coverage and notification types (advisory reports or advisory notification reports).

In the event of critical operational issues with the SADIS API, the WIFS API operated by WAFC Washington is available for backup purposes. The SADIS and WIFS API offerings have been harmonised to make this easier. Information on the WIFS API is available here: https://aviationweather.gov/wifs/ and users will need to register separately to access it.

Furthermore, SADIS FTP also provisions OPMET bulletins for existing qualified users to download until its retirement in 2028.

Service Type
SWIM_COMPLIANT
Life Cycle
OPERATIONAL
Business Activity Type
AIRSPACE_ORGANISATION_AND_MANAGEMENT
Intended Consumer
AERONAUTICAL_INFORMATION_SERVICE_PROVIDER
AIR_TRAFFIC_SERVICE_PROVIDER
CIVIL_AIR_NAVIGATION_SERVICE_PROVIDER
CIVIL_AIRSPACE_USER
NETWORK_MANAGER
PROVIDER_OF_DATA_SERVICES
REGULATED_METEOROLOGICAL_SERVICE_PROVIDER
Information Exchange Category
AERONAUTICAL_INFORMATION_EXCHANGE
METEOROLOGICAL_INFORMATION_EXCHANGE
Application Message Exchange Pattern Entity
SYNCHRONOUS_REQUEST_REPLY
State ICAO Nationality Letters
EGRR
ICAO Region
EUR
Geospatial Categorisation Description
Worldwide coverage, where available, of data sets that are disseminated internationally over the Aeronautical Fixed Service.
In-Operation Date
19-Mar-2024
Provider
Met Office

The Met Office is the sole Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) certificated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority to provide and disseminate a range of aviation forecast products and services, in accordance with ICAO Annex 3 to the Chicago Convention, Meteorological Service for international Air Navigation.

ICAO’s Annex 3 provides the main regulatory framework against which the UK is obliged to provide meteorological services, and which the Met Office delivers Met Services against. This ensures that the UK meets its obligations to ICAO to provide safe, efficient and regular air travel.

These services fall into the following main categories:

a) UK services.

b) The World Area Forecast System (WAFS), as provided by World Area Forecast Centre (WAFC) London, in coordination with WAFC Washington.

c) SADIS (Secure Aviation Data Information Service).

d) The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) London.

In addition to the ICAO Annex 3 determined services, a range of discretionary services that are determined as a requirement in the UK are also provided. Specific services such as Aviation R&D and the provision of information to NATS are examples of this.

Provider Type
REGULATED_METEOROLOGICAL_SERVICE_PROVIDER
Support

To report incidents on services in operation, contact the 24/7 Weather Desk at [email protected] or +44 330 135 0000.

Point of Contact
Operational need for SADIS WAFS OpMet Data

The service is provided in accordance with ICAO Annex 3 – Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation, and the PANS-MET – Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Meteorology (Doc 10157) from November 2025

Data Type

Allow service consumers to request OpMet API data.

Data Type - Aviation observations in IWXXM, .png and TAC format

Either bulletins of Meteorological observation data OR information about what data is available and how the API service works in .json

OAUTH2 Client Credential/Bearer Token

Accessing the service is subject to prior approval by the SADIS Manager and agreeing to our terms and conditions, this should take <5days during normal working hours.

Access is based on OAUTH2 Client Credentials using Client ID and Secret to retrieve a Bearer Token. Login credentials must be set up days in advance of first-time use.

Access to WAFC London's SADIS WAFS OpMet API service does NOT include reciprocal access to WAFC Washington's WIFS OpMet API service. Should you wish to access WAFC Washington's WIFS OpMet API service, then you must apply directly via their website: https://aviationweather.gov/wifs/

Check Headers

The API makes use of standard HTTP headers, as specified in the SWIM Yellow Profile, WS Light Service Interface Binding.

Service Level Agreement

The service has been developed with high availability in mind. An automated synthetic canary will run 24/7 and will be used to monitor reliability every 5 minutes.

The WAFC London SADIS Manager will report service performance and availability to ICAO. 

 

Capacity of Service

The service has been load tested. It remains performant with 250 unique end users concurrently making API requests and being provisioned with payloads.

Time behaviour of Service

> 90% of responses to API requests will be made within 5 seconds of submission.

Request/Response latency is exposed in the OpMet health monitoring dashboard available to the Met Office support teams 

Availability

The service updates 24/7/365. The Met Office receives OpMet bulletins from ROC NATS. The OpMet API service filters and then packages these, before exposing them as an API.

Performance is monitored via a synthetic ‘canary' against these availability targets (measured per calendar month).

Recoverability

Technical support is available 24/7, although on a 'best efforts only' basis outside normal working hours (08:00-17:30 GMT Monday to Friday, except Bank Holidays).

In the event of operational issues, the WIFS API operated by WAFC Washington is available for backup purposes. Both SADIS and WIFS API offerings have been partially harmonised to make this easier.

SADIS FTP can also be used to provision similar OpMet bulletins to existing qualified end users until 2028 when it will be retired

Confidentiality

The Service adheres to SWIM Yellow Profile - Infrastructure Capabilities Binding requirements.

The system does not store or manage any personal data. Threat analysis confirmed that loss of confidentiality is deemed Low Risk.

Integrity

The Service adheres to SWIM Yellow Profile - Infrastructure Capabilities Binding requirements.

The Met Office also has robust Cyber Security protocols in place. In the unlikely event of a security breach impacting the integrity of the data, the service will be suspended, and we would notify users to fail over to WAFC Washington's WIFS OpMet Data service until security has been fully restored. 

ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organisation

OGC

Open Geospatial Consortium

SADIS

The Secure Aviation Data Information System (SADIS) supplies World Area Forecast System (WAFS) and OPerational METeorology (OPMET) data to aviation users in Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. This is an FTP system which is delivered and  maintained exclusively by the Met Office.

WAFC

World Area Forecast Centre

The Met Office is one of only two World Area Forecast Centres (WAFC) and is known as WAFC London - the other is WAFC Washington (NOAA).

WAFS

Worldwide Aviation Forecast System

WIFS

WIFS is the World Area Forecast System (WAFS) Internet File Service, a service provided by the United States to support international flight operations.

Information
SADIS WAFS OpMet Data service

The Met Office operates the SADIS WAFS Gridded data API service in its role as WAFC London, to support air navigation in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The service supplies bulletins of meteorological observational data, in response to tailored API requests.

  • Data source: from either WAFC London or WAFC Washington.
  • Available as locational coverages for the whole globe, or as one of 6 individual geographical coverage regions
  • Data sets are refreshed following updates from ROC NATS (minute by minute)

Schema Language

Observational data as defined by EDR, IWXXM and TAC.

Chart images will be provisioned in .png.

Data payloads may be .zipped

Observational data as defined by EDR, IWXXM, .png and TAC.
Security Mechanism

TLS 1.2

The service uses HTTPS over TLS 1.2 to provide integrity and confidentiality.

5-minute Synthetic Canary

A heartbeat service is used to periodically check the status of the service and determine whether it is available. This runs every 5 minutes 24/7 and checks the availability of OpMet data.

Service Monitoring for SADIS WAFS OpMet API

The Service is monitored and has automated alerts that go to 24/7 Met Office support teams. However, no consumer visible monitoring capabilities are provided.

The generation of observational data and subsequent bulletin creation are triggered on the successful ingestion of requisite base components (push). Appropriate logging, monitoring and alerting are in place 24/7.

SADIS WAFS OpMet API service

Provides access to Meteorological observation bulletins and information about the operation of the API and the data available.

PROVIDER_SIDE
SYNCHRONOUS_REQUEST_RESPONSE
Operations
HTTP GET

The Service provides aeronautical meteorological observations as IWXXM, TAC and .png response payloads.

The Service also provides end users the ability to request metadata about the meteorological observations, returning a response in .json format.

Synchronous: Transactions are synchronous.

TI Protocol Method: HTTP GET

Precondition: Consumers must be authenticated and authorised via the Met Office API Management (APIM) Developer portal.

Processing consideration: The service shall provide a range of observations (Time now - 5 minutes back to Time now - 36hrs).

Idempotent
IDEMPOTENT
Operation Message
HTTPS GET
GET /collections/{collectionId}/locations/{locationId}

Url: Query end point for queries of collection {collectionId} defined by a {locationId}

Return data the for the location defined by locationId.

{collectionId}/locations/{locationId}?datetime={time}/{duration} - Where {collectionId} could be:

tac_opmet_reports

iwxxm_opmet_reports

tac_advisory_reports

iwxxm_advisory_reports

graphical_reports

notices

 

Where {locationId} could be:

GLOBAL

EUR_NAT

NAM_CAR

SAM

AFI

MID

ASIA_PAC

Where {time} is in 5 minute steps for reports BUT notifications have to be set to either 15 or 45 mins past the hour between. Data can be requested for times between now (T0) and 36hrs ago (T-36). {time} is ordered as year-month-day-Time

Where {duration} is PT5M for all collections except notices which are PT30M

For example:10:30 UTC on 5 Jan 2024 for that last 5 minute timestep for reports  is            datetime=2024-01-05T10%3A30Z/PT5M

For example:10:15 UTC on 5 Jan 2024 for that last 30 minute timestep for notifications  is            datetime=2024-01-05T10%3A15Z/PT30M

 

Resource Type
REST_RESOURCE
Url

https://gateway.api-management.metoffice.cloud/sadis-opmet/1/collection…

WS Light

The Service Interface Binding is SWIM Yellow Profile Compliant, using WS Light enabling HTTP GET requests and associated responses.

IPV4_SECURE_UNICAST

The Service implementation conforms with IPV4_SECURE_UNICAST as part of SWIM Yellow Profile requirements.

References
Revision Save Date
Wed, 05/08/2024 - 11:14
Schema version
v2