WEATHER

INSTRUMENTS
, MAPS
AND CHARTS

CL XI GEOGRAPHY
PRACTICAL
[THEORY]
 CONTENTS

Use of weather
instruments:
• Thermometer,
• Wet and dry-bulb thermometer,
• Barometer,
• Wind vane,
• Rain gauge
INTRODUCTION
Weather denotes the atmospheric conditions of weather elements at a particular
place and time.

The weather elements include temperature, pressure, wind, humidity and

cloudiness.

Each day weather maps are prepared for that day by the Meteorological
Department from the data obtained from observations made at various weather
stations across the world.

In India, weather-related information is collected and published under the auspices

of the Indian Meteorological Department, New Delhi, which is also responsible for
weather forecasting.

Weather forecasts help in taking safety measures in advance in case of the

likelihood of bad weather. Predicting weather a few days in advance may prove
very useful to farmers and to the crew of ships, pilots, fishermen, defence
personnel, etc.
 SURFACE OBSERVATORIES

A typical surface observatory has instruments for

measuring and recording weather elements like
temperature (maximum and minimum), air pressure,
humidity, clouds, wind and rainfall.

Specialised observatories also record elements like

radiation, ozone atmospheric trace gases, pollution and
atmospheric electricity.

These observations are taken all over the globe at fixed

times of the day as decided by the WMO and the use of
instruments are made conforming to international
standards, thus making observations globally compatible.
• In India, meteorological observations are normally classified into five
categories depending upon their instruments and the number of daily
observations taken.
• The highest category is Class-I. Typical instrumental facility available in a
Class-I observatory consists of the following:
± Maximum and minimum thermometers
± Anemometer and wind vane
± Dry and Wet bulb thermometer
± Rain gauge
± Barometer
• Observations are taken in these observatories normally at
00,03,06,09,12,15,18,21 hours (Greenwich Mean Time) around the globe.
However, for logistic reasons, some of the observatories take limited number
of daily observations upper air observation during daytime only.
 S PA C E - B A S E D O B S E RVAT I O N S

Weather satellites make comprehensive and

large-scale observations of different
meteorological elements at the ground level as
well in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
The geo-stationary satellites provide space-based
observations about weather conditions.

For example, The Indian National Satellite

(INSAT) provides valuable observations of
temperature, cloud cover, wind and associated
weather phenomena.
THERMOMETER
• Thermometer is used to measure air temperature.
• Most thermometers are in the form of a narrow closed
glass tube with an expanded bulb at one end.
• The bulb and the lower part of the tube are filled with
liquid such as mercury or alcohol.
• The two most common scales used in thermometers are
Centigrade and the Fahrenheit.
• On the Centigrade thermometer, the temperature of
melting ice is marked 0°C and that of boiling water as
100°C, and the interval between the two is divided into
100 equal parts.
• On the Fahrenheit thermometer, the freezing and
boiling points of water are graduated as 32°F and
212°F respectively.
The maximum thermometer The minimum thermometer
records the highest temperature records the lowest reading. In
during a day. In this this thermometer, alcohol is
thermometer, mercury is used. used in place of mercury
THE DRY BULB AND THE WET BULB
THERMOMETERS
• The dry bulb and the wet bulb thermometers are used to
determine the humidity in the air. A set of these thermometers is
kept in the Stevenson Screen.
• The dry bulb and wet bulb thermometers are two identical
thermometers fixed to a wooden frame.
• The bulb of the dry thermometer is kept uncovered and is
exposed to the air while the bulb of the wet bulb thermometer is
wrapped up with a piece of wet muslin, which is kept
continuously moist by dipping a strand of it into a small vessel of
distilled water.
• The evaporation from the wet bulb lowers its temperature.
• The greater the humidity in the air, the slower the rate of
evaporation and hence, the difference between the readings of the
dry bulb and wet bulb will be small.
• When the air is dry, the evaporation from the surface of the wet
bulb is rapid, which would lower its temperature and the
difference between the two readings would be larger.
• Hence, the difference of the readings of the dry bulb and the wet
bulb thermometers determines the state of the atmosphere with
regard to its humidity.
• The larger the difference, the more arid is the air.
THE STEVENSON SCREEN
• The Stevenson screen is designed to protect
thermometers from precipitation and direct
sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely
around them.
• It is painted white to reflect radiation. It stands
on four legs and is about 3 feet 6 inches above
the level of the ground.
• The door of Stevenson screen is always towards
the north in the northern hemisphere and
towards the south in the southern hemisphere
because direct sunrays also affect mercury.
• The purpose of the Stevenson screen is to create
a uniform temperature enclosure that closely
represents the same temperature as the air
outside.
BAROMETER
• The air around us has weight, and it exerts great
pressure on the earth’s surface. At the sea level,
under normal conditions, the pressure of air is
1.03 kg per square centimetre.
• Due to constant movement of air, change in
temperature and variation in its vapour content,
the weight of the air changes continuously with
time and place.
• The instrument used to measure atmospheric
pressure is called a barometer.
• The most commonly used barometers are the
mercury barometer, aneroid barometer and
barographs.
• The unit of measurement is in the millibar.
• Mercury barometer is an accurate instrument and
is used as a standard
Aneroid barometer
• Aneroid barometer gets its name from the Greek
work, aneros (a- ‘not’, neros –‘moisture’,
meaning without liquid).
• It is a compact and portable instrument. It
consists of a corrugated metal box made up of a
thin alloy, sealed completely and made airtight
after partial exhaustion of air. It has a thin
flexible lid, which is sensitive to changes of
pressure.
• As the pressure increases, the lid is pressed
inward, and this, in turn, moves a system of
levers connected to a pointer, which moves
clockwise over the graduated dial and gives
higher reading.
• When the pressure decreases, the lid is pushed
outward and the pointer moves counter
clockwise, indicating lower pressure
BAROGRAPH
• Barograph works on the
principle of aneroid barometer.
The readings of a barograph are
not always accurate, and
therefore, they are standardised
by comparing them with a
mercury barometer reading.
Wind Vane
• Wind vane is a device used to measure the
direction of the wind.
• The wind vane is a lightweight revolving plate
with an arrowhead on one end and two metal
plates attached to the other end at the same
angle.
• This revolving plate is mounted on a rod in such
a manner that it is free to rotate on a horizontal
plane.
• It responds even to a slight blow of wind.
• The arrow always points towards the direction
from which the wind blows.
Rain Gauge
• The amount of rainfall is measured
with the help of a rain gauge.
• The rain gauge consists of a metal
cylinder on which a circular funnel
is fitted.
• The diameter of the funnel’s rim is
normally 20 cm.
• The rain drops are collected and
measured in a measuring glass.
• Normally, rainfall is measured in
the units of millimetres or
centimetres.
• Snow is also measured in a similar
manner by turning it into liquid
form
Isobars : Lines connecting places of equal air pressure.
Isotherms : Lines connecting places of equal temperature.
Isohyets : Lines connecting places of equal amount of rainfall over a
given period of time.
Isohels : Lines connecting places of same mean daily duration of
sunshine.
Isonephs : Lines connecting places of same mean value of cloud cover.