Meteorological Instruments

1. • Meteorological instruments are the
equipment used to sample the state of
the atmosphere at a given time.
• A meteorological station is a facility,
either on land or sea, with instruments
and equipment for measuring
atmospheric conditions to provide
information for weather forecasts and
to study the weather and climate.

2. ANEMOMETER
• An anemometer is a device used for
measuring the speed of wind. It is a
common weather station instrument.
• The measurement units for Anemometers
include: Feet per minute (ft/min), meters
per second (m/s), kilometers per hour
(km/hr), miles per hour (mph), nautical
miles per hour (knots), and Beauforts.

3. BAROMETER
• A barometer is a scientific
instrument used in meteorology to
measure atmospheric pressure.
• The most common unit of
measurement used in barometers
is the millibar (mb) , pounds per
square inch, pascals and inches of
mercury.

4. CEILOMETER
• A ceilometer is a device that uses
a laser or other light source to
determine the height of a cloud
base and overall cloud thickness.
• UNIT: It is traditionally expressed
either in meters or as a pressure
difference in hectopascal.

5. DISDROMETER
• A disdrometer is an instrument used to
measure the drop size distribution
and velocity of falling raindrops. The
main application is to determine the
size, speed, and number of raindrops.
With disdrometer the meteorologist
differ raindrops from graupel and hail.
• Drop size: mm
• Velocity: m/sec

6. HYGROMETER
• A hygrometer is an instrument used
for measuring the moisture content in
the atmosphere.
• milliliters per cubic centimeter.
Alternatively, some hygrometers
measure relative humidity, which is
expressed as a percentage with
no units.

7. NEPHELOMETER
• A nephelometer is an instrument for
measuring concentration of suspended
particles in a liquid or gas colloid.
• Used for air quality measurement for pollution
monitoring, climate monitoring, and visibility.
• In the United States environmental
monitoring the turbidity standard unit is
called Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU),
while the international standard unit is called
Formazin Nephelometric Unit (FNU). The most
generally applicable unit is Formazin Turbidity
Unit (FTU)

8. RAIN GAUGE
• A rain gauge is an instrument used
by meteorologists and hydrologists to
gather and measure the amount of
liquid precipitation over a set period of
time.
• UNIT: mm

9. SNOW GAUGE
• A snow gauge is a type of instrument used
by meteorologists and hydrologists to
gather and measure the amount of solid
precipitation over a set period of time.
• UNIT: The depth of snow is normally
measured in centimetres, the measurement
of melted snow (water equivalent) is
in millimetres.

10. SOLARIMETER
• A solarimeter is a pyranometer, a
type of measuring device used to
measure combined direct and
diffuse solar radiation. An
integrating solarimeter measures
energy developed from solar
radiation based on the absorption
of heat by a black body.
• UNIT: W/m²

11. THERMOMETER
• The thermometer is a device for
measuring the temperature. The
thermometers are using various physical
properties such as thermal expansion of
gases, liquids or solids to determine the
current temperature.
• UNIT: Celsius, Fahrenheit, and kelvin.

12. WIND PROFILER
• A wind profiler is a type of weather
observing equipment that uses radar or
sound waves to detect
the wind speed and direction at various
elevations above the ground. The
variables measured from wind direction
and speed is useful to meteorological
forecasting and timely reporting for flight
planning.
• m/s mph
• degree

13. WIND VANE
• A wind vane is an instrument for
showing the direction of the wind.
They are typically used as an
architectural ornament to the
highest point of a building.
• A traditional weather or wind vane
has no units of measure. It has East,
West, South, and North, it just shows
you which direction the wind is
blowing

14. PAN EVAPORATION
• Pan evaporation is a measurement that
combines or integrates the effects of
several climate elements: temperature,
humidity, rain fall, drought dispersion,
solar radiation, and wind. Pan
evaporation measurements enable
farmers and ranchers to understand how
much water their crops will need.
• Evaporation is measured by measuring
the depth of water. Its unit is mm

15. SUNSHINE RECORDER
• A sunshine recorder is a device that
records the amount of sunshine at a given
location. The results provide information
about the weather and climate as well as
the temperature of a geographical area.
• UNIT: It is measured in minutes, and
hours. kWh/m2

16. STORM GLASS
• The liquid within the glass is a mixture of several
ingredients, most commonly distilled
water, ethanol, potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride,
and camphor.
• If the liquid in the glass is clear, the weather will be bright
and clear.
• If the liquid is cloudy, the weather will be cloudy as well,
perhaps with precipitation.
• If there are small dots in the
liquid, humid or foggy weather can be expected.
• If the liquid contains small stars on sunny winter days,
then snow is coming.
• If there are crystals at the bottom, this indicates frost.
• If there are threads near the top, it will be windy.

17. KONISCOPE
• A koniscope (or coniscope) is a scientific
instrument to detect and measure content
of dust particles in the atmosphere.
A koniscope is also called dust counter.
• UNIT: µm in diameter

18. FIELD MILL
• A field mill is a specialized instrument used
for measuring the strength of electrical
fields in the atmosphere near thunderstorm
clouds. They are also used in outdoor
laboratories for lightening protection
equipment to determine favorable
experiment conditions.
• The SI unit of electric field strength
is newtons per coulomb (N/C) or volts per
meter (V/m).

19. ANEMOSCOPE
• An anemoscope is a device invented to show
the direction of the wind, or to foretell a
change of wind direction or weather.
• m/s, km/h, ft/min, mph, KNOT are used as
measuring units.

20. THERMOSCOPE
• A thermoscope is a device that shows
changes in temperature. A typical design is a
tube in which a liquid rises and falls as the
temperature changes.
• UNIT: Celsius, Fahrenheit, and kelvin.

21. PYRANOMETER
• A pyranometer is an instrument that
measures the total amount of sunlight
reaching a horizontal plane on Earth's
surface. This quantity is called "insolation.“
• UNIT: Watts per square meter (W/m2)

22. WINDSOCK
A windsock is a cone-shaped bag with an
opening at both ends. When it is limp, winds
are light; when it is stretched out, winds are
strong. Pilots can quickly determine the wind
direction and speed along a runway just by
observing the shape and direction of a
windsock.

23. HAIL PADS
• 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.
• UNIT: Inches

24. PSYCHROMETER
• An instrument for determining atmospheric
humidity by the reading of two
thermometers, the bulb of one being kept
moist and ventilated.
• UNIT: Percent (%) moisture held in the air.

25. LIDAR
• Lidar uses ultraviolet, visible, or near
infrared light to image objects. It can target
a wide range of materials, including non-
metallic objects, rocks, rain, chemical
compounds, aerosols, clouds and even
single molecules. A narrow laser-beam can
map physical features with very
high resolutions
• UNIT: µm , nm

26. ALL SKYCAM
• All skycam is a stand-alone Astro and
weather video device enclosed in a
weather proof dome that provides wide
view at the entire sky.
• The cameras fisheye lens gives you a 180
degree view from horizon to horizon.

27. WEATHER BALLOON
• A weather or sounding balloon is
a balloon which carries instruments aloft to
send back information on atmospheric
pressure, temperature, humidity and wind
speed by means of a small, expendable
measuring device called a radiosonde.
• There is no unit. Basically the balloon is
tracked over a day and measure the wind
speed by radiosonde.

28. RADIOSONDE
• A radiosonde is a battery-powered
telemetry instrument package carried
into the atmosphere usually by
a weather balloon that measures
various atmospheric parameters and
transmits them by radio to a ground
receiver.
• UNIT: Hectopascal for pressure,
degree Celsius for temperature and
percentage for humidity.

29. CEILING PROJECTOR
• The ceiling
projector or cloud searchlight is
used to measure the height of the
base of clouds (called the ceiling)
above the ground
• UNIT: ft , m

30. DOPPLER RADAR
• A Doppler radar is a
specialized radar that uses the Doppler
effect to produce velocity data about
objects at a distance.
• UNIT: m/s, km/hr

31. PYRHELIOMETER
• A pyrheliometer is an instrument for
measurement of direct beam solar irradiance
(power per unit area received from the Sun.)
Sunlight enters the instrument through a window
and is directed onto a thermopile which converts
heat to an electrical signal that can be recorded.
• UNIT: The signal voltage is converted via a
formula to measure watts per square meter.

32. Meteorological Instruments
• Thermometer
Use for measuring the temperature .
Unit: Degree Centigrade (C°)
Degree Fahrenheit (F°)
• Ceilometer
Ceilometer use for measuring the cloud height
and thickness.
Unit: Meter (m)
Feet (ft)

33. CONT……..
• Fiel mill
Use for measure the strength of electrical field in
the atmosphere near thunderstorm clouds.
Unit: newton per coulomb (N/C)
volts per meter (V/M)
• Rain Gauge
Use for measuring the rain fall in any area.
Unit: centimeter or inches or millimeter

34. • Ceiling projector
• The ceiling projector or cloud
searchlight is used to measure the height
of the base of clouds (called the ceiling)
above the ground
Unit: ft , m
• Anemometer
Use for measuring the speed of wind.
Unit: km/hr
CONT……..

35. • Barometer
Use for measuring the atmospheric pressure.
Unit: hector-pascal (hPa), Millibar (mb), inch (in)
• Snow Gauge
Use for measuring the solid precipitation over a set
period of time.
Unit: millimeter (mm)
CONT……..

36. • Hygrometer
Use for measure the relative humidity of air in
percentage.
Unit : percentage have no unit
• Disdrometer
Use for measuring the rain drop size distribution ,
velocity, kinetic energy, intensity.
Unit : mm/h , mm , m/s
CONT……..

37. • Wind profiler
A wind profiler is a type of weather observing
equipment that use radar or sound waves to
detect the wind speed and direction of various
elevation above the ground.
Unit: km/hr or km
• Koniscope
Use to detect and measure the content of dust
Particles in the atmosphere.
Unit micrometer in diameter
CONT……..

38. • Stromglass
Observing the liquid in the Stromglass was suppose
to indicate change in the weather .if the liquid in
the glass was clear ,the weather would be clear
and bright.
• Composition
2.5g potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride , 33ml distilled
water , 40ml of methanol and 10g of camphor .
CONT……..

39. • Evaporation pan
Use to measure the combine and integrate effect
of several climate elements;temperature,humidity
,rain fall, drought dispersion, solar radiation , wind
Unit: Degree Celsius, Percentage, Millimeter, w/m2
• Anemoscope
Anemoscope is a contrivance for indicating and
recording the direction of the wind; also, a device
intended to foretell change in the weather.
CONT……..

40. • Thermoscope
Use to measure the change in temperature of a
substance by noting change in the volume of the
substance without numerical scale.
• Nephelometer
Use for measure the conc. Of suspended particulates
In liquid or gas colloid.
Unit: Turbidity standard unit (NTU)
Formazin Nephelometric unit (FNU)
CONT……..

41. • Wind vane
Wind vane are also refered to as weather vanes ,
science when the wind change direction ,it often
brings a change in weather.
• Solarimeter
Use to measuring combine and diffuse solar radiation
through a surface.
Unit: w/m2
CONT……..

42. • Sunshine recorder
Use to record the amount of sunshine in hours of
bright at a given location. The result provide
information about the weather , climate as well
as the temperature of a geographical area.
Unit: Kwh/(m2 day)
CONT……..

43. • Pyranometer
A pyranometer is an instrument that
measures the total amount of sunlight
reaching a horizontal plane on Earth's
surface. This quantity is called "insolation.
Unit: Watts per square meter (W/m2)
• Anemograph
A graph connected to the dials records the wind
speeds and directions on a continuous basis for
a monthly period.
Unit : km/hr
CONT……..

44. • Thermograph
Thermograph consists of a bi‐metallic spiral coils
and uncoils with changes in temperature. This
action causes movement of an attached pen.
This is a chart that is changed on a weekly basis.
Unit: Degree Centigrade (C°)
Degree Fahrenheit (F°)
• windsock
Sock aligns in wind flow and changes shape
depending on wind speed (qualitatively).
CONT……..

45. • Radio Sonde
Small instrument package (temperature, pressure,
relative humidity) connected to a balloon filled
e.g. with helium. The balloons usually burst at
about 30 km. Data is sent to ground via radio
transmission.
Unit: Hectopascal , degree Celsius, percentage
• Doppler Radar (Doppler mode, velocity mode)
using the Doppler effect, the direction and
speed of precipitation can be determined in m/s
CONT……..

46. • Pyrheliometer
use for measuring direct sunshine two manganin
strips, one is heated by the sun, the other electrically
until they have the same temperature. The current
needed is proportional to the incoming short wave
radiation.
Unit: watts per square meter
CONT……..

47. • Hail pads
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.
Unit: inches
CONT……..

48. • Psychrometer
A psychrometer is used to measure
humidity or moisture in the air.
Unit: Percent (%) moisture held in the air.
• Compass
A compass is a navigational
instrument for finding directions.
CONT……..