Weather
Location:
Latitude 50.4 degrees north
Latitude 1.1 degrees west
Height above sea level: 107 feet (33 metres)
The site monitors wind speed and direction, rainfall, outside temperature, outside humidity, ultraviolet radiation (UV) and solar radiation. The sensors are mounted on the roof and send information to the console located in the classroom.
In turn, the data logger within the console feeds data to the computer which analyses it. Graphs and plots can then be used to interpret the data.
Understanding the data.
Wind
Wind speed and the direction from which it is blowing are measured.
Temperature
Outside air temperature is measured. This reading is also used to create
a wind chill factor together with humidity.
Wind chill
Wind chill takes into account how the speed of the wind affects our perception
of the air temperature. The faster the wind blows, the faster the heat
is carried away and the colder we feel.
Humidity
Humidity refers to the amount of water vapour in the air. However, this
varies with temperature and pressure. Relative humidity is a figure which
takes these variables into consideration. Warm air with low humidity can
hold more water vapour.
Rainfall
Rainfall is usually measured in either inches or millimetres. Other measurements
can be taken/stored from the data e.g. rain storm, daily rain, monthly
rain, yearly rain.
Barometric pressure
The weight of air that makes up our atmosphere exerts a pressure on the
earth. Atmospheric pressure is greater at sea-level than on a mountain
top. To get an accurate reading, atmospheric pressure is converted into
barometric pressure so that we can compare one location with another.
Weather predictions rely heavily on barometric pressure. Generally, high pressure is an indicator of fair weather whilst low pressure is associated with poor weather. Forecasters will often look closely at the rise and fall of a barometer when predicting the weather. Falling pressure generally indicates deteriorating weather conditions.
Solar radiation
Basically known as the sun’s intensity.
Ultra violet (UV) radiation
The sun’s energy reaches us in three forms: visible, infrared and
ultra violet rays. UV rays are important because they can cause health
problems such as skin cancer, sun burn, skin aging and cataracts. Knowing
the sun’s strength (or predicted strength) can help us take preventative
measures.
