---
title: "Using Weather Instruments"
description: "Use weather instruments to measure and record weather data: thermometers for temperature in °C, rain gauges for rainfall, wind vanes for direction, and anemometers for wind speed — and keep a weather "
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/using-weather-instruments-mt_sA0RvWXSYY
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/using-weather-instruments-mt_sA0RvWXSYY.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# Using Weather Instruments

Use weather instruments to measure and record weather data: thermometers for temperature in °C, rain gauges for rainfall, wind vanes for direction, and anemometers for wind speed — and keep a weather diary over time

Subject: Science · Area: Weather & Climate · Ages 7 to 9
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/using-weather-instruments-mt_sA0RvWXSYY

## Ready when they can

- Name at least three weather instruments and explain what each measures
- Read a thermometer and record the temperature in degrees Celsius
- Record weather data in a table or diary over several days

## Lesson: Using Weather Instruments

Weather watchers do not just guess what the sky will do. They use special tools called weather instruments to measure it, the same way you use a ruler to measure how long something is.

*(drawing: A thermometer has numbers marked in degrees Celsius, or °C for short. Find where the red line stops to read the temperature. This one shows 18°C.)*

Three other tools help you measure the rest of the weather. A rain gauge is a straight cup that catches rain, so you can measure how many millimeters fell. A wind vane is an arrow that spins and points into the wind, showing which direction it comes from. An anemometer has spinning cups: the harder the wind blows, the faster they spin, so it measures wind speed.

**Example.** Every afternoon, Ben checks his weather tools and writes down what he finds. On Monday he records 2 mm of rain, on Tuesday 5 mm, and on Wednesday none at all. After a few days, he can look back and see which day was the rainiest.

**Tip.** Check your instruments at the same time every day and write the numbers in a table right away. That way you can compare one day with another and spot patterns, like a week that was warmer or wetter than usual.

**Recap.** Different weather instruments measure different things, and writing down what they show each day helps you spot patterns over time.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Local weather patterns](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/local-weather-patterns-mt_HZvTriQWTh)
- [What Is Wind?](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/what-is-wind-mt_j7cj9eWN7w)
- [Types of Weather](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/types-of-weather-mt_jc9k_HJQGd)
- [Temperature & Thermometers](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/temperature-and-thermometers-mt_PrWc-HZzDl)

## Opens up

- [Weather Forecasting](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/weather-forecasting-mt_AghN5YcCHX)