Weather Instruments & Equipment

Anemometer measures the speed or force of the wind. The speed that the cups rotate shows the wind strength.

Barometer  measures air pressure. Pressure falls when it is about to rain and rises when the weather is dry. You can see this as the needle moves.

Hygrometer  measures the amount of moisture in the air. It usually incorporates a needle that is made to move by a paper strip which shrinks or stretches depending on the dampness of the air (i.e.: the humidity).

shows how much precipitation (rain, snow or hail) that falls each day. Rain Gauge shows how much precipitation (rain, snow or hail) that falls each day.

Sundial   is used to tell what time of day it is using the shadows cast by the sun.

Thermometer  measures temperature in degrees centigrade (°C) or degrees Fahrenheit (°F) using a liquid such as mercury that expands when it warms up. It then moves up a thin tube marked with a temperature scale, and will fall back down the tube as the temperature falls and the liquid contracts. Thermometers are kept in a white Stevenson screen which allows air to circulate but shields the thermometer from direct sunlight. This ensures the measurements are correct and accurate. Maximum and minimum thermometers record the highest and lowest temperatures reached daily.

Wind Sock shows the speed and direction of the wind. They are most often used at airports, seaports and on other open areas such as mountain roads.

Weather Vane measures wind direction. It is always recorded as the direction from which the winds are blowing, ie: a south-westerly wind is blowing from the south- west.