Hourly data format of Automated Weather Station (ex. AMeDAS)

1. Summary of file format and structure

The SATAID software requires the following two kinds of data file for AWS.

The hourly data files are recorded hourly data of all AWS, and also include data per 10 minutes.
The station index file is recorded specification data of all AWS.
These files are created in text format (CSV), and can be browsed by popular spreadsheet software.
The hourly data files and station index file must be located in a same folder.

 

2. Hourly data file

(1) File name

    h_yyyymmddhh.csv ( year : yyyy, month : mm, day : dd, hour : hh=01~24(local time) )

(2) Contents

    Hourly data and data per 10 minutes of all AWS at hh hour, yyyy-mm-dd are recorded in a file.

(3) Format

    Text (CSV) format

    The 1st, 3rd and 4th line record character strings that show elements of data. Elements of data doesn't depend on each AWS and date, and are invariable.
    The 2nd line records character strings that show date and time of the observation data.
    The 5th and following line record character strings that show the observation data of each AWS.
    The length of these lines is fixed as follows.

    The 1st line : 21 bytes (includes carriage return and  line feed code as 2 bytes.)
    The 2nd line : 15 bytes (includes carriage return and  line feed code as 2 bytes.)
    The 3rd line : 113 bytes (includes carriage return and  line feed code as 2 bytes.)
    The 4th line : 43 bytes (includes carriage return and  line feed code as 2 bytes.)
    The 5th and following line : 35 bytes (includes carriage return and  line feed code as 2 bytes.)

    The observation data is recorded in integer or decimal according to its minimum unit.
    The character string such as "///" is recorded when its element of data isn't observed.

(The 1st line)

Example

Year,Month,Day,Hour

 

Content

Title

CR,LF code

Address

1

20

Length(bytes)

19

2

(The 2nd line)

Example

1999

,

01

,

01

,

01

 

Content

Year

Comma

Month

Comma

Day

Comma

Hour

CR,LF code

Address

1

5

6

8

9

11

12

14

Length(bytes)

4

1

2

1

2

1

2

2

(The 3rd line)

Example

Station Number,Minute,Precipitation,Wind Direction,Wind Speed,
Temperature,Sunshine Duration,Depth of Snow Cover

 

Content

Title

CR,LF code

Address

1

112

Length(bytes)

111

2

(The 4thy line)

Example

,(min),(mm),(/16),(m/sec),(deg.C),(min),(cm)

 

Content

Title

CR,LF code

Address

1

42

Length(bytes)

41

2

(The 5th line)

Example

11011

,

10

,

3.5

,

06

,

02

,

Content

Station No.

Comma

Minutes
(min)

Comma

Precipitation
(mm)

Comma

Wind direction
(/16)

Comma

Wind velocity
(m/sec)

Comma

Address

1

6

7

9

10

15

16

18

19

21

Length(bytes)

5

1

2

1

5

1

2

1

2

1

-12.3

,

08

,

///

 

Temperature
(deg.C)

Comma

Sunshine
(min)

Comma

Snow depth
(cm)

CR,LF code

22

27

28

30

31

34

5

1

2

1

3

2

(The 6th and following lines are in same format as the 5th line)

Data line of station 11011 at local time 00:20
       :
Data line of station 11011 at local time 01:00
       :
       :
Data line of station 94116 at local time 00:10
       :
Data line of station 94116 at local time 01:00

3. Station index file

(1) Fiel name

  idxyyyymm.csv or idx.csv

(2) Contents

   The information of AWS observed even one time in yyyy-mm is recorded.

(3) Format

   Text (CSV) format

   The 1st and 2nd line record character strings that show elements of data. Elements of data doesn't depend on each date, and are invariable.
   The 3rd and following line record character strings that show the information data of each AWS.
   The length of these lines is fixed as follows.

   The 1st line : 198 bytes (includes carriage return and  line feed code as 2 bytes.)
   The 2nd line : 66 bytes (includes carriage return and  line feed code as 2 bytes.)
   The 3rd and following line : 113 bytes (includes carriage return and  line feed code as 2 bytes.)

   The information data is recorded in character string or numeric number (integer or decimal).
   The content of flag that shows the element of observed data is as follows.

   1 : Be observed.
   0 : Be not observed.

(The 1st line)

Example

Station Number,Station Name,Station Name,Station Name,
Latitude,Latitude,Longitude,Longitude,Altitude,
Height of Anemometer,Precipitation,Wind Speed,
Temperature,Sunshine Duration,Depth of Snow Cover

 

Content

Title

CR,LF code

Address

1

197

Length(bytes)

196

2

(The 2nd line)

Example

,(Kanji.),(Kana),,(degree),(minutes),(degree),(minutes),(m),(m)

 

Content

Title (unit)

CR,LF code

Address

1

63

Length(bytes)

62

2

(The 3rd line)

Example

11001

,

Souyamisaki

,

Souyamisaki

,

Content

Station No.

Comma

Station name
(Japanese,Kanji)

Comma

Station name
(Japanese,Kana)

Comma

Address

1

6

7

27

28

43

Length(bytes)

5

1

20

1

15

1

SOUYAMISAKI

,

45

,

31.1

,

141

,

56.4

,

Station name
(English)

Comma

Latitude
(deg.)

Comma

Latitude
(min.)

Comma

Longitude
(deg.)

Comma

Longitude
(min.)

Comma

44

74

75

77

78

82

83

86

87

91

30

1

2

1

4

1

3

1

4

1

0026

,

008.0

,

1

,

1

,

Altitude of station
(m)

Comma

Altitude of aerovane
(m)

Comma

Flag of precipitation

Comma

Flag of wind

Comma

92

96

97

102

103

104

105

106

4

1

3

1

1

1

1

1

1

,

1

,

1

 

Flag of temperature

Comma

Flag of sunshine

Comma

Flag of snow depth

CR,LF code

107

108

109

110

111

112

1

1

1

1

1

2

4. Appendix

16 azimuths table of wind direction

Value

Direction

0

Calm

1

North-northeast

2

Northeast

3

East-northeast

4

East

5

East-southeast

6

Southeast

7

South-southeast

8

South

9

South-southwest

10

Southwest

11

West-southwest

12

West

13

West-northwest

14

Northwest

15

North-northwest

16

North