2007 Volcanic Ash at Karachi Pakistan

 

 

  Here's the 2007 July 02 and 03 translated METAR weather obs from Karachi, Pakistan. Note the current "weather". I don't know about you, but I've never experienced that kind of weather.

Current Weather Conditions:
Karachi Airport, Pakistan

(OPKC) 24-54N 067-08E 22M

Conditions at

Top of Form


2007.07.03 0330 UTC

Bottom of Form

Wind

from the WSW (240 degrees) at 9 MPH (8 KT)

Sky conditions

overcast

Temperature

87 F (31 C)

Heat index

102.4 F (39.1 C)

Dew Point

80 F (27 C)

Relative Humidity

79%

ob

OPKC 030330Z 24008KT 7000M BKN020 OVC090 31/27 Q995 NOSIG

 

 Hour Summary

 

 

Time
EDT (UTC)

Temperature
F (C)

Dew Point
F (C)

Pressure
Inches (hPa)

Wind
MPH

Weather

Latest

11 PM (3) Jul 02

87 (31)

80 (27)

 

WSW 9

 

 

10 PM (2) Jul 02

87 (31)

80 (27)

 

SW 10

 

 

9 PM (1) Jul 02

86 (30)

80 (27)

 

SW 9

 

 

8 PM (0) Jul 02

86 (30)

80 (27)

 

W 10

 

 

7 PM (23) Jul 02

86 (30)

78 (26)

 

W 12

 

 

6 PM (22) Jul 02

86 (30)

78 (26)

 

W 7

 

 

5 PM (21) Jul 02

87 (31)

80 (27)

 

W 9

 

 

4 PM (20) Jul 02

87 (31)

80 (27)

 

Calm

smoke

 

3 PM (19) Jul 02

87 (31)

80 (27)

 

WSW 9

smoke; sandstorm; rain with thunder

 

2 PM (18) Jul 02

87 (31)

80 (27)

 

WSW 8

smoke; sandstorm; rain with thunder

 

1 PM (17) Jul 02

87 (31)

80 (27)

 

W 12

smoke

 

Noon (16) Jul 02

87 (31)

80 (27)

29.35 (0994)

W 13

smoke

 

11 AM (15) Jul 02

87 (31)

80 (27)

 

W 12

smoke

 

10 AM (14) Jul 02

89 (32)

80 (27)

 

SW 12

smoke

 

9 AM (13) Jul 02

89 (32)

80 (27)

29.29 (0992)

W 15

haze

 

8 AM (12) Jul 02

93 (34)

80 (27)

 

WNW 12

haze

 

7 AM (11) Jul 02

93 (34)

80 (27)

 

W 12

 

 

6 AM (10) Jul 02

77 (25)

82 (28)

29.29 (0992)

W 12

 

 

5 AM (9) Jul 02

96 (36)

80 (27)

29.32 (0993)

W 16

volcanic ash,

 

4 AM (8) Jul 02

96 (36)

80 (27)

29.32 (0993)

W 10

 

 

3 AM (7) Jul 02

96 (36)

82 (28)

29.32 (0993)

 

 

 

2 AM (6) Jul 02

95 (35)

80 (27)

29.32 (0993)

WNW 14

 
   

  At first I thought Armageddon was here! But my next guess was that there's a serious translation problem when decoding from the METARs. Here's the 2007 July 02 and 03 RAW METARS so you can see what happened:

Observations for KARACHI, Pakistan (OPKC)

OPKC 022230Z 27006KT 6000M SCT020 BKN090 30/26 Q994 NOSIG   
OPKC 022200Z 24007KT 6000M BKN020 BKN090 31/27 Q994 TEMPO NW/NE 30G40KTS 1000 OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB 
OPKC 022130Z 27008KT 6000M BKN020 BKN090 31/27 Q994 TEMPO NW/NE 30G40KTS 1000 OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB 
OPKC 022100Z 26010KT 6000M BKN020 OVC090 31/27 Q995 TEMPO NW/NE 30G40KTS 1000 OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB 
OPKC 022030Z 00000KT 5000M FU BKN020 OVC090 31/27 Q995 TEMPO NW/NE 30G40KTS 1000 OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB  
OPKC 022000Z 00000KT 5000M FU BKN020 OVC090 31/27 Q995 TEMPO NW/NE 30G40KTS 1000 OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB  
OPKC 021930Z 25008KT 5000M FU BKN020 OVC090 31/27 Q995 NW/NE 30G40KTS 1000 OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB
OPKC 021900Z 26008KT 5000M FU BKN020 OVC090 31/27 Q995 NE/NW 30-40KTS 1000 OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB
OPKC 021830Z 24007KT 5000M FU FEW020 SCT030 BKN090 31/27 Q995 NW/NE GUSTING 20-40KTS 1000 OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB 
OPKC 021800Z 24008KT 5000M FU FEW020 SCT030 BKN090 31/27 Q995 NW/NE GUSTING 20-4KT 1000 OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB   
OPKC 021730Z 26010KT 5000M FU FEW020 CT023 BKN090 31/27 Q994 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB GUSTING NW/NE 20-40KTS OR MORE 
OPKC 021700Z 27011KT 4000M FU SCT020 BKN090 31/27 Q994 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB GUSTING NW/NE 20-40KTS OR MORE   
OPKC 021630Z 27011KT 4000M FU FEW030 TCU SCT020 BKN090 31/27 Q994 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB GUSTING NW/NE 20-40KTS OR MORE
OPKC 021600Z 27010KT 4000M FU FEW030 TCU SCT020 BKN090 31/27 Q0994 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB GUSTING NW/NE 20-40KTS OR MORE   
OPKC 021530Z 26010KT 3000M FU FEW030 TCU SCT020 OVC090 31/27 Q994 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB GUSTING NW/NE 20-40KTS OR MORE
OPKC 021500Z 26010KT 3000M FU FEW030 TCU SCT020 OVC090 31/27 Q993 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB GUSTING NW/NE 20-40KTS OR MORE
OPKC 021430Z 23010KT 3000M FU FEW030 TCU030 SCT020 OVC090 32/27 Q993 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB GUSTING NW/NE 20-40KTS OR MORE 
OPKC 021400Z 26012KT 4000M HZ FEW030 TCU SCT020 OVC090 32/27 Q993 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB GUSTING NW/NE 20-40KTS OR MORE
OPKC 021400 26012KT 4000M HZ FEW030 TCU SCT020 OVC090 32/27 Q993 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TSRA FEW025CB GUSTING NW/NE 20-40KTS OR MORE
OPKC 021330Z 28013KT 4000M HZ FEW030 TCU SCT020 OVC090 32/27 Q993 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TS/SH/RA FEW025CB GUSTING NE/SE 30KTS OR MORE   
OPKC 021330 28013KT 4000M HZ FEW030 TCU SCT020 OVC090 32/27 Q993 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TS/SH/RA FEW025CB GUSTING NE/SE 30KTS OR MORE
OPKC 021300Z 28012KT 4000M HZ FEW030 TCU SCT030 BKN100 32/27 Q0992 TEMPO 1KM OR LESS TS/SH/RA FEW025CB GUSTY NE/SE 30KT OR MORE 
OPKC 021300Z 28012KT 4000 FEW030 TCU SCT030 BKN100 32/27 Q992 TEMPO 1KM OR LESSTS/SH/RA FEW025CB GUSTY NE/SE 30KT OR MORE
OPKC 021230Z 29010KT 5000M HZ SCT020 BKN100 34/27 Q992 NOSIG
OPKC 021200Z 26012KT 5000M HZ SCT020 34/27 Q992 NOSIG   
OPKC 0021100Z 28010KT 7000M SCT020 34/27 Q992 NOSIG
OPKC 021100Z 28010KT 7000M SCT020 34/27 Q992 NOSIG
OPKC 0021100Z 28010KT 7000M SCT020 34/27 Q992 NOSIG 
OPKC 021030Z 28010KT 7000 SCT020 25/28 Q0992 NOSIG  
OPKC 021000Z 24013KT 7000 FEW020 SCT140 35/28 Q993 NOSIG
OPKC 020930Z 27014KT 7000 FEW020 SCT140 36/27 Q0993 NOSIG   
OPKC 020900Z 03010KTS 7000J ?CHECK TEXT NEW ENDING ADDED VABBYFYX   
OPKC 020900Z 03010KTS 7000J CHECK TEXT NEW ENDING ADDED VABBYFYX
OPKC 020900Z 03010KTS 7000M FEW020 SCT140 36/27 993 NOSIG
OPKC 020830Z 27009KT 7000 FEW020 SCT140 36/27 Q0993 NOSIG   
OPKC 020800Z 27010KT 7000 SCT020 BKN120 36/27 Q0993 NOSIG   
OPKC 020730Z 27008KTS 7000M SCT020 BKN120 36/28 993 NOSIG   
OPKC 020700Z 27008KT 7000 SCT020 BKN120 35/28 Q0993 NOSIG   
OPKC 020630Z 29012KT 7000 FEW020 SCT100 35/27 Q0993 NOSIG  

  On 07-02 at 09Z somebody was running tests and added “CHECK TEXT NEW ENDING ADDED VABBYFYX”. I guess VABBYFYX is a name or ID of some kind. Since I’ve written a lot of parsing programs in my life, I can see that the program scanned that last word, translated the VA as “volcanic ash” and then continued on to the next blank.

  I guess the “FU” is valid, and they really did have smoke conditions from 14Z to 20Z.

  At 18 and 19Z they took the SS in “1000 OR LESS” to mean “sandstorm”.

  Anyway, it was a lot of fun while it lasted. Lesson learned: You can check the translated METARs first if you’re in a hurry (as I like to do), but if you want the real deal, you'd better go with the METARs.