What Are Some of the Weather Instruments Called?

Visualization

• Meteorologists use visual representations of weather when they are trying to explain current and future weather conditions to the general population. The tools used often to capture these visual images are weather satellites and weather maps. Weather satellites photograph current conditions to include cloud density, location and movement over time. This data is interpreted and can be used on weather maps to show individuals the direction that storms and warm fronts are predicted to take based on the satellite images.

Air Condition

• Air condition is one of the biggest factors of weather. These factors are measured by two of the oldest weather instruments: the thermometer and barometer. A thermometer measures the current air temperature in the area where it is located. Thermometers can be digital or manual and generally contain a liquid that expands as temperature increases, which causes a rise in the temperature display. Temperatures can be recorded over an extended period of time and used to help predict trends.

  Barometers measure air pressure. High barometer readings will indicate sunny and dry conditions while a low barometric reading indicates a storm or wet condition is occurring or will occur shortly.

Wind

• Wind conditions can affect individuals in a variety of ways. Specific wind conditions can lead to the formation of tornados and hurricanes. Wind can also cause shifts in weather patterns, changing the areas affected by weather predictions. Meteorologists keep track of wind conditions by using a wind vane that determines the direction of the wind in conjunction with an anemometer, which measures the speed of the wind. Both of these pieces of equipment determine measurements through centrifugal movement.

Precipitation

• Precipitation, or rain, can mean an unsuccessful picnic, crop abundance or a ruined crop if timing is off. Meteorologists do all they can to help individuals know when rain will occur using hygrometers and rain gauges. The gauge measures the amount of rain that has fallen over a specified amount of time. The gauge works in conjunction with the hygrometer, which measures the water vapor content of the air to help predict how much more rain could fall.