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ECMWF makes available a BUFR decoding library freely downloadable from here and a synop2bufr converter which is maintained with the help of external contributors. Updates of the synop2bufr software will be announced in this page.

synop2bufr latest version 20-05-2014

Free download: synop2bufr_20140520.f

Changes in this version

contribution by Mr. Perisa Sunderic and Dr. Eva Cervena

Conversion of wind speed and maximum wind gust speed above 99 knots
Conversion of group 54g₀s_nd_T for temperature change 10 degrees and more.
Correct presentation of height of base of cloud when sky clear is reported.

synop2bufr previous versions

Free download: synop2bufr_20140402.f

Changes in this version contributed by Mr. Perisa Sunderic and Dr. Eva Cervena

Conversion of group 54g₀s_nd_T (temperature change)
Conversion of group 56D_LD_MD_H (direction of cloud drift)
Conversion of group 57CD_ae_C (direction and elevation of cloud)
Conversion of group 58p₂₄p₂₄p₂₄ (non-negative change of pressure over the past 24 hours)
Conversion of group 59p₂₄p₂₄p₂₄ (negative change of pressure over the past 24 hours)
Correct presentation of Height of the station and Height of barometer in BUFR messages, if H and/or HP are missing in WMO No.9, Volume A.

Free download: synop2bufr_20140217.f

Changes in this version contributed by Mr. Perisa Sunderic and Dr. Eva Cervena

Clouds with bases below station level reported in all groups of SYNOP section 4 are reflected in BUFR data.
Specification of vertical significance 0 08 002 within 3 02 036 has been refined.
Height of station above msl 0 07 030 is set to missing for stations that are defined in Volume A as aerodromes (A in the column REMARKS).
The regulation B/C 1.2.3 requires reporting 0 07 030 (Height of station ground above mean sea level) as defined in Note (3) under BUFR/CREX Table B, Class 07.
The program synop2bufr obtains the station metadata from Volume A, height of station ground above msl is taken from the column H/HA. Consequently, the altitude of the aerodrome HA has been reported for 0 07 030 instead of the required Height of station ground above msl in BUFR data from stations at aerodromes . And it is to noted that HA may be very different from the required 0 07 030, e.g. station 11518 has HA = 380 m, whereas 0 07 030 = 364.0 m.
0 07 030 is set to missing as a default value for aerodromes.
A list of aerodromes is hard coded in the converter and has to be updated as soon as changes are introduced in Volume A.