Weather Instruments

Meteorologists use a variety of instruments to measure the weather to give an accurate reading of what the weather is like. Here are some of those very important instruments:

Barometer: measures atmospheric pressure in Millibars. A barometer can also be used by pilots as an altimeter, because as a pilot flies upward, the pointer gives the altitude above sea level.

Thermometer: measures the temperature in degrees Celsius or degrees Fahrenheit

Rain gauge: measures the amount of rainfall in mm. Not only does a rain gauge measure rainfall, but also all other forms of precipitation.

Campbell Stokes Recorder: measures sunshine. This type of recorder is made up of a glass ball which concentrates sunshine on to a thick piece of card. The sunshine then burns a mark on the card which shows the number of hours of sunshine in the day.

Anemometer: measures wind speed in mph. The most common type looks like a toy windmill. Three cups are fixed to a central shaft and the stronger the wind blows the faster they spin around. The wind speed is shown on a dial, just like a car's speedometer.

Wind Vane/Wind Sock: measures wind direction by pointing towards North, East, South or West

Hygrometer: measures the temperature and amount of humidity in degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius. A hygrometer actually uses human hair to tell how much humidity is in the air. It contains a sheaf of blond human hairs treated to remove the oils. As the relative humidity increases, the hairs increase in length and operate the recording mechanism.

Meteorologists also measure the amount of cloud cover in "oktas" from 1 to 8. 0 oktas means the sky is clear, 8 oktas means the sky is completely covered. The height of a cloud is measured by how far it is above sea level.

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	Barometer: measures atmospheric pressure in Millibars. A barometer can also be used by pilots as an altimeter, because as a pilot flies upward, the pointer gives the altitude above sea level.
	Thermometer: measures the temperature in degrees Celsius or degrees Fahrenheit
	Rain gauge: measures the amount of rainfall in mm. Not only does a rain gauge measure rainfall, but also all other forms of precipitation.
	Campbell Stokes Recorder: measures sunshine. This type of recorder is made up of a glass ball which concentrates sunshine on to a thick piece of card. The sunshine then burns a mark on the card which shows the number of hours of sunshine in the day.
	Anemometer: measures wind speed in mph. The most common type looks like a toy windmill. Three cups are fixed to a central shaft and the stronger the wind blows the faster they spin around. The wind speed is shown on a dial, just like a car's speedometer.
	Wind Vane/Wind Sock: measures wind direction by pointing towards North, East, South or West
	Hygrometer: measures the temperature and amount of humidity in degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius. A hygrometer actually uses human hair to tell how much humidity is in the air. It contains a sheaf of blond human hairs treated to remove the oils. As the relative humidity increases, the hairs increase in length and operate the recording mechanism.
	Meteorologists also measure the amount of cloud cover in "oktas" from 1 to 8. 0 oktas means the sky is clear, 8 oktas means the sky is completely covered. The height of a cloud is measured by how far it is above sea level.