Definition
An international standard data format, maintained by the World Meteorological Organization, used to encode and exchange weather observation data — including upper-air soundings from radiosondes — in a compact binary form that any compliant computer system can decode.
Plain English
A worldwide computer file format that weather agencies use to share observation data. It packs measurements like temperature, wind, and humidity into a small, standardized file that any country's weather system can read.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA discussions of upper-air observations and in technical weather-data systems, not usually as something a pilot reads directly before flight.
Derivation
‘Binary’ means the data is stored as ones and zeros (computer-readable, not text). ‘Universal’ means every weather service worldwide uses the same format. ‘Representation’ here means how the data is encoded for transmission. Together: a single binary format everyone uses to share weather data.
Why Pilots Care
Many upper-air reports and forecast products reach aviation users after being packaged in this format, so accurate and timely weather information depends on it working correctly.
Intuition Check
BUFR is not a forecast, a weather report, or a weather sensor. It is the standardized computer format that carries weather data.
Example Sentence 1
Radiosonde measurements from the morning weather balloon launch are encoded in BUFR and transmitted to forecasting centers around the world.
Example Sentence 2
Flight planning tools pull winds-aloft information that originated from BUFR-encoded upper air observations.