GEN 3.5  Meteorological services

1.   Responsible service

1.1  The meteorological service for civil aviation in Albania is provided by ALBCONTROL, Air Navigation Service of Albania.
Post:

ALBCONTROL Air Navigation Services of Albania Meteorological Service P.O. Box 8172 Rinas, Tirana Albania

Tel:+ 355 4 4522152

Fax:+ 355 4 4522152

Email:met@albcontrol.al

AFS:LATIYMYX

URL:www.albcontrol.al

Meteorological observations and reports at international aerodromes in Albania are provided by the MWO (for more detailed information, see AD 2.11 of aerodrome concerned).
1.3  Applicable ICAO documents
1.3.1  The service is provided in accordance with the provisions contained in the following documents:
  • ICAO Annex 3 - Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation
  • ICAO Annex 11 - Air Traffic Services
  • ICAO Annex 14 - Aerodromes
  • ICAO Doc 7030 - Regional Supplementary Procedures
  • ICAO Doc 7754 - Air Navigation Plan/European Region
  • ICAO Doc 8896 - Manual of Aeronautical Meteorological Practices
  • ICAO Doc 9328 - Manual of RVR Observing and Reporting Practices
  • EUR Doc 014 - SIGMET and AIRMET Guide
  • Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 - SERA
  • Regulation (EU) No 2017/373
1.3.2  Differences to these provisions are detailed in GEN-1.7.

2.   Area of responsibility

2.1  Meteorological service is provided for the Tirana FIR.

3.   Meteorological observations and reports

3.1  The following meteorological observations and reports are provided by meteorological office established at Tirana Aerodrome and Kukes Aerodrome:

Name of station/
Location indicator		Type & frequency
of observations		Types of MET
reports and
availability of
trend forecasts		Observation system and site(s)Hours of
operation		Climatological
information
123456
Tirana LATIRoutine observations half hourly


Special observations		METAR,

MET Report

MET Report Special		SFC wind sensors: See AD Chart
RVR EQPT: See AD chart
Ceilometers: See AD Chart
Thermometer: See AD Chart
Pressure tube anemometer: See AD Chart
MOR EQPT: See AD chart
Present Weather: See AD chart
Thunderstorm Detector: See AD chart		H24Available
Kukes LAKURoutine observations half hourly


Special observations		METAR,

MET Report,

MET Report Special		SFC wind sensors: See AD chartRVR EQPT: See AD chartCeilometers: See AD chartThermometer: See AD chartPressure tube anemometer: See AD chartMOR EQPT: See AD chartPresent Weather: See AD chartThunderstorm Detector: See AD chartHOAvailable
3.2  Local routine and special reports and METAR and SPECI contain the following elements:
  1. identification of the type of report;
  2. location indicator;
  3. time of the observation;
  4. identification of an automated or missing report, when applicable;
  5. surface wind direction and speed;
  6. visibility;
  7. runway visual range, when applicable;
  8. present weather;
  9. cloud amount, cloud type (only for cumulonimbus and towering cumulus clouds) and height of cloud base or, where measured, vertical visibility;
  10. air temperature and dew-point temperature; and
  11. QNH and, when applicable, QFE (QFE included only in local routine and special reports).
3.3  Climatological information for Tirana Aerodrome is available based on observations made over a period of at least five years. Climatological statistics for routes and areas in Albania are not available.

4.   Types of services

4.1  The following meteorological services are provided to operators, flight crew members and ATS units by forecast office established at Tirana Aerodrome.
Meteorological
Office		Service AvailableTelephoneAFSHours of Operation
12345
Tirana MET Office-TAF, trend Forecast
- Aerodrome Warnings
- Wind shear warning and alerts		+355 4 4522152LATIYMYXH24
4.2  The primary method of meteorological briefing for flight crew is by self-briefing, using information and documentation routinely displayed in aerodrome briefing area. English is the language used for all documentation and forecast clarification. When necessary, the personal advice of a forecaster or other meteorological information can be obtained by the forecast office.

Note: Details of meteorological briefing at Tirana aerodrome are given in the section AD LATI 2.

4.3  Aerodrome warnings are issued as appropriate when one or more of the following phenomena is occurred or expected to occur:
  1. tropical cyclone (if the 10-minute mean surface wind speed at the aerodrome is expected to be 17 m/s (34 kt) or more)
  2. strong surface wind and gusts (Cross Wind >= 20 kt and Wind >= 40 kt)
  3. thunderstorm
  4. hail
  5. snow (including the expected or observed snow accumulation)
  6. freezing precipitation
  7. heavy precipitations >= 10 mm/hr
  8. hoar frost or rime
  9. frost
  10. temperature below 0 degree Celsius and above 35 degree Celsius
  11. fog
  12. freezing fog
  13. squall
  14. volcanic ash
  15. sandstorm and dust storm
  16. toxic chemicals
  17. tsunami
4.4  The normal method of notifying aerodrome warnings is by E-mail to the aerodrome, with local dissemination of the warning being the responsibility of the aerodrome operator.
4.5  Warnings of expected existence of wind shear are issued for the Tirana aerodrome only and disseminated to the appropriate ATS units. The wind shear warnings are issued in English.

5.   Notification required from operators

5.1  Forecast office normally requires prior notification for Special Forecasts as follows:
  1. for flights within Europe, at least 2 hours before ETD;
  2. for other flights, at least 4 hours before ETD.
5.2  Request for Special Forecasts must include details of the route, the period of the flight and where appropriate the ETD/ETA of each leg, the altitude to be flown and the time at which the forecast is required.
5.3  It is in the interest of all concerned that the maximum period of notice is given. The forecast office will give priority to emergencies and to forecast requirements which have been properly notified.

6.   Aircraft reports

6.1   Aircraft observations
6.1.1  Routine observations made by aircraft are not required in the Tirana FIR.
6.1.2  Special aircraft observations are required to be issued by aircraft as special air-reports in Tirana FIR whenever the following conditions are encountered or observed:
  1. moderate or severe turbulence; or
  2. moderate or severe icing; or
  3. severe mountain wave; or
  4. thunderstorms, without hail, that are obscured, embedded, widespread or in squall lines; or
  5. thunderstorms, with hail, that are obscured, embedded, widespread or in squall lines; or
  6. heavy dust storm or heavy sandstorm; or
  7. volcanic ash cloud; or
  8. pre-eruption volcanic activity or a volcanic eruption; or
  9. the runway braking action encountered is not as good as reported.
6.1.3  Flight crews shall compile the reports using forms based on the model AIREP SPECIAL form as set out in point A, Appendix 5 of SERA. Those reports shall comply with the detailed instructions for reporting, as provided in point 2 of Appendix 5.
6.1.3.1  The detailed instructions, including the formats of messages and the phraseologies provided in Appendix 5 of SERA, shall be used by flight crews when transmitting air-reports and by ATS units when retransmitting such reports.
6.1.3.2  Special air-reports containing observations of volcanic activity shall be recorded on the special air-report of volcanic activity form. Forms based on the model form for special air-reports of volcanic activity set out in point B, Appendix 5 of SERA shall be provided for flight crews operating on routes which could be affected by volcanic ash clouds.
6.1.4  When other meteorological conditions not listed in 6.1.2, e.g. wind shear, are encountered and which, in the opinion of the pilot-in-command, may affect the safety or markedly affect the efficiency of other aircraft operations, the pilot-in-command shall advise the appropriate ATS unit as soon as practicable.
6.1.5  Aircraft observations shall be reported during flight at the time the observation is made or as soon thereafter as is practicable.
6.1.6  Aircraft observations shall be reported as air-reports and shall comply with the technical specifications in Appendix 5 of SERA.
6.1.7  ATS units shall transmit, as soon as practicable, special and non-routine air-reports to:
  1. other aircraft concerned;
  2. the associated meteorological watch office (MWO) in accordance with point 3, Appendix 5 of SERA; and
  3. other ATS units concerned.
6.1.8  Transmissions to aircraft shall be repeated at a frequency and continued for a period of time which shall be determined by the ATS unit concerned.
6.2   Specific provisions related to reporting wind shear and volcanic ash
Reporting of wind shear
When reporting aircraft observations of wind shear encountered during the climb-out and approach phases of flight, the aircraft type shall be included.
Where wind shear conditions in the climb-out or approach phases of flight were reported or forecast but not encountered, the pilot-in-command shall advise the appropriate ATS unit as soon as practicable unless the pilot-in-command is aware that the appropriate ATS unit has already been so advised by a preceding aircraft.
Post-flight reporting of volcanic activity
On arrival of a flight at an aerodrome, the completed report of volcanic activity shall be delivered by the aircraft operator or a flight crew member, without delay, to the aerodrome meteorological office, or if such office is not easily accessible to arriving flight crew members, the completed form shall be dealt with in accordance with local arrangements agreed upon between MET and ATS providers and the aircraft operator.
The completed report of volcanic activity received by an aerodrome meteorological office shall be transmitted without delay to the meteorological watch office responsible for the provision of meteorological watch for the flight information region in which the volcanic activity was observed.
6.3   In-flight Procedures
6.3.1  Aircraft can obtain aerodrome weather information from any of the following methods:
  1. Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS); and
  2. by request to an ATS Unit but whenever possible only if the information required is not available from a broadcast.
6.3.2  When an aircraft diverts, or proposes to divert, to an aerodrome along a route for which no forecast has been provided, the commander may request the relevant information from the ATS unit serving the aircraft at the time, and the necessary forecasts will be provided by the Forecast Office.

7.   VOLMET service

Nil

8.   SIGMET and AIRMET service

Name of
MWO
Location
Indicators		Hours of
Service 		FIR or CTA servedValidity
periods		Specific
procedures applied to
SIGMET		Procedures
applied to
AIRMET		ATS Unit provided with informationAdditional
information
12345678
Tirana LATI H24Tirana FIRSIGMET 4 hours

Volcanic Ash
SIGMET 6 hours		Tropical cyclone SIGMET is not issuedICAO Annex 3
AIRMET (low level en-route
weather warning) is
not issued		Tirana ACC/APPNil
8.1   SIGMET service
8.1.1  Meteorological Watch Office is responsible for the preparation and dissemination of SIGMETs to appropriate ACC/FIC within Tirana FIR. Aircraft in flight should be warned by the ACC/FIC of the occurrence or expected occurrence of one or more of the following SIGMET phenomena:
  1. thunderstorm;
  2. heavy hail;
  3. freezing rain;
  4. severe turbulence (not associated with convective cloud);
  5. severe icing (not associated with convective cloud);
  6. severe mountain waves; and
  7. volcanic ash cloud.
8.2   AIRMET service
8.2.1  AIRMET is a general aviation weather briefing service. AIRMET information is issued by the meteorological watch office in accordance with regional air navigation agreement, taking into account the density of air traffic operating below flight level 100 (flight level 150 for mountain areas). AIRMET information gives a concise description in abbreviated plain language concerning the occurrence and/or expected occurrence of specified en-route weather.
8.2.2  AIRMET covers Tirana FIR. Information is provided in text form via the AFS and Internet.

9.   Other automated meteorological services

Nil