Collecting Weather Data

Weather instruments help scientists measure temperature, air pressure, wind, and precipitation.

A barometer measures air pressure, which helps forecast whether a storm is approaching or if the weather will remain clear.

A thermometer measures the air temperature, which is important for making daily weather forecasts.

An anemometer measures how fast the wind blows, and a wind vane shows the wind direction.

A rain gauge collects rainwater to measure the total amount of rainfall over a period of time.

A hygrometer checks the humidity in the air, and a snow gauge measures snowfall.

These tools are found in weather stations all over the world.

Weather balloons rise high into the sky and collect data from the atmosphere until they burst and fall down.

Weather satellites orbit Earth, take pictures and readings from space, and transmit them to weather stations.

Radar devices send radio waves that bounce off atmospheric water and return to the radar to show where precipitation is falling.

All this data helps meteorologists predict the weather more accurately.