WEATHER TOOLS

Thermometers come in different forms. They

are also used for different things, but their

purpose is the same. You may have a

thermometer hanging outside your house at

home. They are usually made of a glass tube.

They have a liquid inside of them. The liquid

moves up the glass when it gets hot. A

thermometer got its name because the word

“thermos” means heat. Meter means measure.

So, it is a measure of heat!

​A rain gauge is a tool that collects water.

The water can be measured over time. A

rain gauge looks like a big cup. It collects

water and allows it to run down into a

tube. There is a scale on the side of the

tube. Scientists can tell how much water

has been collected by reading the number

next to where the water sits.

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​The tool looks like it has three or four arms that each hold a cup. The

cups catch the wind as the arms turn round and round. Each time the

arms go around, the machine counts how fast the arms are turning. If it’s turning very fast, the tool tells scientists that dangerous

weather is coming, like a tornado or hurricane.

​A barometer measures the

pressure in the air. It’s not

something you can see or even

feel. That’s why a special weather

tool is needed to feel it for us!

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​A barometer can tell if the

pressure in the air is going up or

down. When it goes up, it tells us

that the day will be sunny and dry.

When it goes down, the day will be

stormy and wet.

They help us predict the weather!

An instrument used to measure wind speed.

An instrument used to measure temperature.

An instrument used to measure humidity = the amount of water vapor in the air.

An instrument used to show the direction of the wind.

An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure = high and low pressure. 

An instrument used to measure rain.