Battersea Heliport Weather

Is it good flying weather over London right now? This page shows live weather for Battersea Heliport (EGLW) and the next 24 hours: wind, cloud base, visibility and rain, taken from the official airport reports around London. Choose Plain English for the short version, or Pilot’s view for the decoded METAR and TAF, the raw reports and the hourly forecast.

How to read the Battersea Heliport weather

Green, amber and red

Green means good flying weather: cloud well above the minimum, good visibility and a moderate wind. Amber means marginal: a low cloud base, reduced visibility or a gusty wind that could delay or re-time a flight. Red means poor: conditions that make a flight unlikely until they improve. The status always uses the least favourable of the three nearest reporting airports, London City, Heathrow and Northolt, so it errs on the cautious side.

What a helicopter pilot needs

A pilot flying by sight needs to see where they are going and stay clear of cloud. In practice the cloud base and the visibility matter most, wind and gusts come next, and rain on its own is rarely a problem unless it cuts the visibility. Every aircraft, operator and pilot has their own limits, and the pilot makes the final decision before and during every flight.

Why we use the airports around London

Battersea Heliport does not publish its own weather reports. The nearest airports that do are London City (about 9 nautical miles east-north-east of the heliport), Heathrow (about 11 nautical miles west), Northolt (about 10 nautical miles west-north-west) and Biggin Hill (about 12 nautical miles south-east). Their reports are the ones pilots use. For the hourly temperature, wind and rain at the heliport itself we add a computer model forecast from MET Norway.

Plain English or Pilot’s view?

Plain English turns the same data into a colour-coded status, four simple readings and a 24-hour timeline. The Pilot’s view shows the raw METAR and TAF alongside our decoding, the temperature and dew point spread, QNH and the full hourly table.

Aviation weather terms explained

METAR

The official weather observation for an airport, issued every 30 minutes. It reports wind, visibility, weather, cloud, temperature and pressure in a compact code.

TAF

The official airport forecast, usually covering 24 to 30 hours. Changes are marked BECMG (becoming), TEMPO (temporarily) and PROB (a probability of 30 or 40 per cent).

Cloud base (ceiling)

The height above the ground of the lowest layer of broken or overcast cloud, in feet. FEW and SCT (scattered) layers are not counted as a ceiling; BKN (broken) and OVC (overcast) are.

Visibility

How far you can see, shown in kilometres on the plain page and in metres in a METAR. 9999 means 10 kilometres or more, and CAVOK means visibility 10 km or more, no significant cloud and no significant weather.

Knots (kt)

Speed in nautical miles per hour. One knot is about 1.15 miles per hour, so 20 knots is roughly 23 mph. Gusts are shown as G, for example 240/12G22KT.

QNH

The air pressure at sea level in hectopascals (hPa), used to set the altimeter so that it reads altitude correctly.

VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR

Flight categories from the cloud base and visibility. VFR (visual) is good, MVFR (marginal visual) is marginal, IFR and LIFR (instrument and low instrument) are poor and very poor.

Temperature and dew point spread

The gap between the temperature and the dew point. When it is 3 degrees or less, mist, fog or low cloud becomes more likely.

Z and UK time

Z, or Zulu, is the same as UTC and is how aviation weather is timed. UK time is one hour ahead of Z during British Summer Time. Times on this page are UK time unless marked Z.

Battersea Heliport weather questions

Can a helicopter fly in the rain?

Yes. Rain on its own does not stop a helicopter. What matters is whether the rain cuts the visibility or brings the cloud down. Light rain and showers are routine; heavy rain with poor visibility can mean a delay until it clears.

How windy is too windy for a helicopter?

There is no single number. Twin-engine helicopters work in a good deal of wind, and the average speed matters less than strong gusts and turbulence around buildings. As a rough guide, light to moderate wind is routine and gusts above about 25 knots start to be a consideration. The pilot makes the decision on the day.

What is the cloud base and why does it matter?

The cloud base is the height of the lowest solid layer of cloud above the ground, measured in feet. A pilot flying by sight needs to stay clear of cloud and keep the ground in view, so a low cloud base is one of the most common reasons for a delay. Cloud above about 3,000 ft is rarely an issue.

Can helicopters fly in fog or mist?

Flights flown by sight generally wait for fog and mist to lift, because visibility has to be good enough to see where you are going. This page shows visibility in plain words, and as the raw METAR figure in the Pilot’s view.

Where does the Battersea Heliport weather come from?

Battersea Heliport does not publish its own weather reports, so we use the official METAR and TAF reports from the nearest airports: London City, Heathrow, Northolt and Biggin Hill (NOAA Aviation Weather Center). The hourly rain, temperature and wind at the heliport come from a computer model by MET Norway.

How often is the weather updated?

This page checks for new data every five minutes. Airport reports are issued every 30 minutes, with an extra report in between if conditions change quickly. The time of the latest report is shown at the bottom of the weather panel.

What happens if the weather is bad on the day of my flight?

If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. We keep you informed and talk you through the options, such as a later time or another day. Call us on +44 20 7781 8094 for the latest picture.

Planning a helicopter flight from Battersea?

Tell us when and where and we will confirm a fixed price, with weather watched for you on the day. Call +44 20 7781 8094 or email operations@batterseahelicopter.com. You can also see our helicopter charter options, the helicopter hire prices and the helicopter charter FAQs.