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Various types of weather technology are necessary to inform your daily local weather forecast. Meteorologists see photographs from satellite images and some use local weather radar if it is available. Forecasters look at satellite images to predict lighting storms, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Forecasters also use local equipment like hygrometers, barometers, and rain gauges to predict weather patterns and temperatures throughout the week.
Hygrometers are used to measure the humidity in the air. Humidity is important to know because too much humidity can damage your property and even cause health concerns if you are not prepared. The hygrometer device uses two mercury thermometers, one with a wet bulb and one with a dry bulb. Any water evaporation on the wet bulb will decrease its temperature reading. The hygrometer measures humidity by comparing the temperatures on the two bulbs after the wet bulb temperature has dropped.
Another device used in your local weather forecast is the barometer. This device measures atmospheric pressure. The barometer is a three foot tube made of glass that is filled with mercury during forecasting. If the mercury level rises in the tube, this is an indication that the weight of the mercury is less than current atmospheric pressure. If the weight of the mercury is more then it will fall. Atmospheric pressure is a common measurement to predict the weather, including such phenomena as lightning storms. If atmospheric pressure drops rapidly in just a few hours, for example, this indicates the coming of a storm.
Rain gauges are used commonly by local forecasters. A rain bucket is placed on a flat surface and on a place where no vibrations will interfere with the testing. The bucket is positioned so that it will tip as soon as the bucket receives .001 inches of rain. When the bucket reaches this amount of rain it will dump the holdings and tell the forecaster how quickly the rain is coming down. This device is not used to predict future rain, but only recent precipitation that has fallen into the bucket.