A319
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors; Weather
While on wide downwind for CAT 3 ILS Runway XXR; noticed thunderstorms building west of field and through the southwest moving east rapidly. This was unusual because A. We were in CAT 3 conditions; B. It was the morning; C. It was cold outside 6 degrees and; D. Heavy rain had been occurring for 24 hours and the air mass was already moisture saturated. Not normal conditions for convective activity. We used the blue pages in the QRH for windshear precautions and judged it safe to continue. On final the leading edge of the thunderstorms appeared to be just north of [Runway] XXR by less than 1 mile. We decided to proceed with caution and increased our approach speed and selected flaps 3 as per the QRH suggestions. Note at this time there were no microburst alerts or windshear alerts because the surface winds were amazingly CALM. The winds at 3;000 FT on final for [Runway] XXR were 200/57; a 55 KT tailwind. We configured early; gear down outside the IAF. On the Tower frequency we heard an A-330 flight...go-around and an A-319...go-around; so we already had it in mind to be prepared and reviewed the Go-Around Call Outs from the Pilot Handbook. Just inside the FAF HAYOU we experienced what determined to be an actual windshear event at 2;000 MSL; decreasing tailwind; increasing headwind; severe turbulence; and a forceful downdraft. I immediately executed a go-around; but did not use the Windshear Escape Procedure because we had no aircraft indication of windshear - no predictive or reactive windshear alerts - yet I felt sure we were in a windshear event from seat of the pants and instrumentation feedback. [We were] lured into thinking these thunderstorms were not intense due to ambient wet meteorological conditions; and low temperatures; and a saturated air mass. Also there were no microburst alerts on the surface due to calm winds. [We] should not have proceeded with the approach.
A319 Captain noted thunderstorm activity near destination airport; but elected to continue due to apparent air mass conditions that were not conducive to convective activity. A go-around was initiated at 2;000 FT due to windshear encounter.