List of weather instruments

Last updated August 19, 2025

This is a list of devices used for recording and give output readings of various aspects of the weather.

Typical instruments

Weather stations typically have these following instruments:

Thermometer for measuring human body temperature
Barometer for measuring atmospheric pressure
Hygrometer for measuring humidity
Anemometer for measuring wind speed
Pyranometer for measuring solar radiation
Rain gauge for measuring liquid precipitation over a set period of time
Wind sock for measuring general wind speed and wind direction
Wind vane (also called a weather vane or a weathercock) for showing the wind direction
Present Weather/Precipitation Identification Sensor for measuring precipitation level
Disdrometer for measuring drop size distribution
Transmissometer for measuring visibility
Ceilometer for measuring cloud ceiling

v t e US weather radars
Military weather radars	SCR-658 radar AN/APQ-13 AN/APS-2F AN/CPS-9 AN/FPS-41
Weather surveillance radars	WSR-1, 1A, 3 and 4 WSR-57 WSR-74C and -74S WSR-88D (NEXRAD) TDWR
Research radars	ADRAD ARMOR CASA DOW NSSL Doppler SMART-R Advanced Technology Demonstrator CSU-CHILL OU-PRIME Multifunction Phased Array Radar at NSSL Joint Polarization Experiment RaXPol