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    Significant Weather Information (SIGMET)

    The Hong Kong Observatory's Airport Meteorological Office is responsible for issuing SIGMET on hazardous weather and phenomena in the atmosphere that may affect the safety of aircraft operations within a designated airspace over the northern part of the South China Sea (see map below).

    香港飛行區

    Hazardous weather and phenomena in the atmosphere include:

    • thunderstorms
    • tropical cyclones
    • turbulence
    • icing
    • mountain wave
    • duststorm
    • sandstorm
    • volcanic ash
    • radioactive cloud

    Some abbreviations used in SIGMET:

    Abbreviations Meaning
    TS  thunderstorm
    TC tropical cyclone
    VA volcanic ash
    TURB turbulence
    ICE icing
    MTW mountain wave
    GR hail
    DS duststorm
    SS sandstorm
    CB cumulonimbus
    OBSC obscured
    EMBD embedded
    FRQ frequent
    SQL squally
    HVY heavy
    SEV severe
    INTSF intensify
    NC  no change
    WKN weaken
    MOV move
    RDOACT CLD radioactive cloud
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