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Weather Instruments and measurements
Weather Instrument for measuring the weather
1. Anemometer:
(to measure wind speed in km) The wind forces the cups to rotate.
They are connected to a meter. The meter converts the rotations into
wind speed.
This is measured in kilometers per hour (km/hr)
2. Barometer:
This measure air pressure in milibars (mb).
The pressure of air move a pointer around a dial.
If pressure is high on the glass it moves the dial around
to HIGH.
If pressure is low on the glass the dial move towards
LOW.
Maximum – Minimum Thermometer (Six’s thermometer):
(to measure [Link] min. temperature in degrees centigrade)
This instrument records, the highest and lowest temperature cover a period of
time in degrees Centigrade (0C).
There are two steel markers inside the tube.
One marker stays at the maximum temperature; the other stays at the
minimum temperature until they are reset. They are pushed into place by mercury
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which is affected by alcohol in the tube expanding or contracting as temperature
changes.
This instrument is known as the Six’s thermometer after James Six who invented
it.
A Stevenson screen or instrument shelter is an enclosure to shield
meteorological instruments against precipitation and direct heat radiation from
outside sources, while still allowing air to circulate freely around them. It forms part of
a standard weather station.
1. It consists of square wooden box on a stand
2. The box has louvred (slanting) sides to allow the entry
of air.
3. The roof is made of double boarding to prevent the sun’s heat from reaching
inside the screen.
4. Insulation is further improved by passing the outside white to reflect the sun’s
rays.
Sitting: The sitting of the screen is very important to avoid data degradation by the
effects of ground cover, buildings and trees:
1. It is also place on a stand 110 cm above ground level to avoid any effects of
concrete or grass at the surface.
2. It is sited in an open space.
3. Away from the trees and buildings to avoid any obstacles affecting the
readings.
4. In the northern hemisphere, the door of the screen always faces to north so as
to prevent direct sunlight on the thermometers.
5. In Polar regions with twenty-four hour sunlight, the observer must take care to
shield the thermometers from the sun and at the same time avoiding a rise in
temperature being caused by the observer's body heat.
Instruments inside the Stevenson screen:
The Stevenson screen holds instruments that may include thermometers
(ordinary, maximum/ minimum), a hygrometer, a psychrometer, a
dewcell, a barometer and a thermograph.
Stevenson screens may also be known as a cotton region shelter, an instrument
shelter, a thermometer shelter, a thermoscreen or a
thermometer screen.
Its purpose is to provide a standardised environment in which to measure
temperature, humidity, dewpoint and atmospheric pressure.
A special type of Stevenson screen with an eye bolt on the roof is used on a
ship. The unit is hung from above and remains vertical despite the movement of the
vessel.
4. Wet and dry bulb thermometer (hygrometer):
(to measure relative humidity- percentage moisture in air (%).
This consists of two thermometer. One records the air temperature; the other is
kept damp so it records the temperature as if the air was 100% saturated.
The difference between the temperature determines the relative humidity of the
air which is read off a table which gives relative humidity as a percentage of 100%.
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Rain Guage:
(to measure daily rainfall in millimeters (mm).
Precipitation (rain, hail, sleet and snow) fall into the metal funnel and enter a
glass container.
At regular intervals the contents are tipped into a standard guage and
measured.
Snow or hail must be melted first. This is measured in millimeter
(mm).
Wind Vane: (to measure direction of wind).
This shows the wind direction. If the wind is from the west is from
the west it is called a ‘westerly wind’ and the arrow is pointing from
west to east.
Measuring sunshine hours
the number of hours and minutes of sunshine received at a
place can be measured and recorded by a sunshine recorder.
this is a glass sphere partly surrounded by a metal frame .
A strip of special card, divided up into hours and minutes, is placed
below the sphere.
When the sun shines, the sphere focuses the sun's rays on the
card.
As the sun moves, the rays burn a trace on the card.
At the end of the day, the card is removed and replaced.
The length of the trace represents the amount of sunshine that the
location received.
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REVISION QUESTIONS
1. Explain how the weather instrument Wet and dry bulb
thermometer/hygrometer is used to work out relative humidity.
(2015)
Ideas such as: read off wet and dry bulb temperatures/read both
temperatures;
• use relative humidity table/chart;
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work out depression of wet bulb(2)/subtract wet bulb from dry bulb (8–6)/work
out difference between the two;
read off figure at intersection of dry bulb and wet bulb depression figures
(where 8 and 2 intersect)/must convey how they would use the table; etc.
2. Explain why the weather instrument Wet and dry bulb
thermometer/hygrometer is kept in a Stevenson Screen? (2015)
Ideas such as:
reflect sun`s rays/so they are not heated by the sun/to avoid direct sunlight;
so that air flows gently around them/they are not affected by the wind;
so they measure condition of air not ground;
so they are a standard height above ground;
so they are not affected by concrete;
to avoid tampering; etc.
3. Explain how wind speed and direction measurements are obtained
at a weather station.
wind direction is recorded with a wind/weather vane;
• labelled diagram of wind vane/description (MAX 2);
• direction noted is where the wind is blowing from/arrow points to where the
wind is blowing from;
• wind speed is recorded with an anemometer;
• labelled diagram of anemometer/description
• both connected to computer/digital weather station;
• check instruments every X hours to get reading;
• locational idea of both instruments placed high up/on a roof/away from
trees
