Elements of Weather and Weather Instruments

First before we explore the weather elements and weather instruments, we first need to know what is 

weather and climate. 

Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, and its short-term variation in minutes to weeks. 

Climate is the average weather in a given area over a longer period of time. A description of a climate 

includes information on, e.g. the average temperature in different seasons, rainfall and sunshine. Lets 

see and even closer look on the differences of both. 

 

What are the Elements of Weather?

The elements that makes up the weather includes:

• Temperature                                        
• Air (Atmospheric) Pressure             
• Wind (Speed & Direction                                 
• Humidity
• Precipitation
• Visibility
• Clouds (Type & Cover)
• Sunshine Duration

Weather Instruments and Their Uses

Atmospheric Pressure

Barometers measure atmospheric pressure, providing the measurement in millibars. Under most conditions, high and rising pressure indicates sunny weather, while low and falling pressure indicates approaching rain. The traditional aneroid barometer first appeared in the 1840s. The microbarograph also measures air pressure but records its continuous measurements on paper.

Humidity Sensors

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Hygrometers measure temperature and humidity using degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit. One type of hygrometer, called a sling psychrometer, uses one dry and one wet bulb thermometer to measure the relative humidity of the air. Some older hygrometers used a sheaf of hair, which increases in length as relative humidity increases.

Wind Speed

•••

Anemometers measure the direction and speed of wind in miles per hour. A common type of anemometer has three cups fixed to a mobile shaft. As the wind blows faster, the cups spin around faster. The actual speed of the wind shows up on a dial. Another type of anemometer uses a propeller instead of cups to accomplish the same function.

Wind Vane

•••

A wind vane, also called a wind sock, measures the direction of the wind at any given point in time. A weighted arrow spins around a fixed shaft and points north, south, east or west, typically marked on separate fixed shafts parallel to the arrow.

Rain Gauge

•••

A rain gauge measures the amount of rainfall. The standard rain gauge consists of a long, narrow cylinder capable of measuring rainfall up to 8 inches. Many rain gauges measure precipitation in millimeters, or to the nearest 100th of an inch. Other gauges collect the rain and weigh it, later converting this measurement into inches.

Hail Pad

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Hail pads measure the size of hail that falls during a storm. A standard hail pad consists of florist's foam and aluminum foil. The falling hail strikes the foil and creates dimples for the observer to measure after the storm.

Campbell Stokes Recorder

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The Campbell Stokes Recorder measures sunshine. Sunlight shines into one side of a glass ball and leaves through the opposite side in a concentrated ray. This ray of light burns a mark onto a thick piece of card. The extensiveness of the burn mark indicates how many hours the sun shone during that day.

Thermometer

A thermometer is an instrument that measures temperature. It can measure the 

temperature of a solid such as food, a liquid such as water, or a gas such as air. The three 

most common units of measurement for temperature are Celsius, Fahrenheit, and kelvin. The 

Celsius scale is part of the metric system.

Illustrated Video

There's a video below which you can watch illustrating how we measure weather instrument. 

Test what you know

Here is a link you can click on to complete an activity on weather instrument. Go ahead, test your skill!!

https://www.liveworksheets.com/nk1294792xk