Weather Instruments

Question 1

Anemometer

Answer 1

An anemometer measures windspeed. The cups catch the wind, turning a dial attached to the instrument. The dial shows the wind speed. There are different types of anemometers, but the most common type is called a cup anemometer

Question 2

Weather Vane

Answer 2

A weather vane is an instrument that determines the direction from which the wind is blowing. They are also called a Wind Vane. They are often mounted on a pole or tower that is in turn mounted on the roof of a tall building. When the wind blows, and arrow indicates the wind direction

Question 3

Thermometer

Answer 3

A thermometer measures the air temperature. Most thermometers are closed glass tubes containing liquids such as alcohol or Mercury. When air around the tube heats the liquid, the liquid expands and moves up the tube. Some of thermometers measure temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit scales.

Question 4

Rain gauge

Answer 4

A rain gauge measures the amount of rain that has fallen over a specific time period. After the rainfall is measured, meteorologists will look at the other weather instruments to see what the conditions were like right before the rain. This helps them make weather predictions.

Question 5

Hygrometer

Answer 5

A hygrometer measures the water vapor content of the air or the humidity. The amount of water in the air compared to the amount it could hold is the “relative humidity”. If air holds all of the water vapor it can, it is at 100% relative humidity and is “saturated”.

Question 6

Barometer

Answer 6

A barometer measures air pressure it tells you whether or not the air pressure is rising or falling. A rising barometer means sunny and dry conditions, while a falling barometer means stormy and wet conditions. Big changes in the barometric pressure mean a storm is coming.