If you are interested in the weather and would like to keep up with current conditions, as well as understand what is headed your way, then you should consider purchasing one of the many instruments used to measure weather. There are wind gauges, thermometers, rain gauges, barometers and weather vanes to help you arm yourself with knowledge.

Rain gauges come in all shapes and sizes; from a basic glass or plastic jar with increments on the side to measure rainfall, to a wireless electronic rain gauge that can be placed anywhere in your garden, which will remotely record rainfall data, such as rainfall average and current total, rainfall rate per hour and daily, weekly and monthly totals. There are also self-emptying models that allow you to measure the amount of rainfall over a long period of time.

A device used to measure the speed of the wind is called an anemometer, or wind gauge. In its most basic form, it is a cup anemometer, consisting of four hemispherical shafts mounted horizontally on a vertical shaft. Wind gauges can be separated into two broad groups: hand-held and fixed. A hand-held anemometer will typically only display the current wind strength. A fixed wind gauge measures the wind speed at a given location in addition to providing historical measurements, such as maximum gust and average wind speed.

A thermometer is, of course, used to measure the temperature. Thermometers have progressed tenfold since the days of a simple mercury thermometer. Now wireless is hugely popular, since from the comfort of your favorite armchair, you can check the current, minimum or maximum temperatures and have it displayed in Celsius or Fahrenheit. A rain gauge thermometer is also available that takes temperature readings as well as a rainfall measurement.

A barometer measures the atmospheric pressure and can be used to see if the pressure is falling or rising or is steady; thus providing a good indicator of the weather in the near future. Barometers are so much more than a weather instrument, however. They can truly be a work of art. Ornamental barometers add beauty and elegance to the walls of many homes. As with most things, technology has caught up with barometers too, so digital barometers are now widely available and just as in the instruments above, can be used to measure atmospheric changes; aiding in a more accurate picture of the coming weather.

A weather vane’s job, simply put, is to measure and gauge from which direction the wind is blowing, which is a key element to any weather forecast. As with a barometer, they can also be a beautiful addition to your garden or pergola roof top. There are an almost unlimited range of designs styles to choose from; the more popular styles include birds, animals, sports and others. There are craftsmen out there who can provide you with your very own hand crafted, specialty weather vane.

Weather stations typically bundle several, if not all of these instruments together so that they get a better overall picture of current weather conditions, as well as to predict future occurrences. Wind gauges, rain gauges, weather vanes, anemometers and barometers can each provide you with a glimpse of what is going on right outside your door. Whether you are planning a picnic or unsure of whether you can get your lawn mowed before the rain comes, each of these tools can help you through your day.

Beth Kaminski is the co-author of Curing Your Anxiety And Panic Attacks which detailed anxiety or panic attacks as well as tips on the various panic disorder medications available at anxietydisordercure.com.

The yearly rainfall average is a vital piece of rainfall climate data. It is recorded through a variety of methods. Precipitation includes rainfall, snow, sleet, hail, and other forms of water falling to the ground and is measured in units over a given time period. Precipitation is commonly shown in inches per twenty four hour period in the United States. If four inches of rain fell in a twenty four hour period and the water wasn’t absorbed into the ground nor did it flow away downhill, then there would be a four inch layer of water covering the ground. In other words, it would have been raining cats and dogs.

Rainfall was the first weather element that was ever accurately measured. It isn’t known who measured it first or where the first rain gauge was used. Since nothing more than a bucket and ruler are required to get accurate rainfall data, it’s easy to see how this could have been done many hundreds of years ago. History shows that the Greeks kept rainfall records as early as the 5th century B.C, though they never had a measurement for when it was raining cats and dogs.

Meteorologists and weather observers use more sophisticated instruments, like electronic rain gauges and tipping buckets to more precisely measure rainfall amounts. A rain gauge should have a wide opening at the top for the rainfall to enter. The rain falls into the container and is funneled into a narrow tube. Because the tube is thinner than the top of the funnel, the units of measurement are further apart than they would be on a ruler to allow more precise measuring, down to the one-hundredth of an inch. If less than one-hundredth of an inch of rain falls, that amount is called a trace of rain. If three inches of rain falls, then it is said to be raining cats and dogs.

Beth Kaminski is a leading expert in how to anxiety therapy and has been publishing lots of information on the medications for panic disorder for years now.