Types of Rain Gauges

Graduated Cylinder Rain Gauge
Also known as the standard rain gauge, the graduated cylinder rain gauge is a simple,
measured glass cylinder. It is used by all professional weather services in manned
stations and is the most accurate way of directly measuring rainfall.
The water gets collected by a cylindrical funnel, from where it flows directly into the
graduated cylinder or captured by a container and then poured into a measured
cylinder.
This rain gauge has to be measured and emptied on a daily basis, which means it can
only be used in a manned weather station
The collector funnel catches the rain and is 8 inches in diameter. From there, the water
flows directly into the measuring tube. The tube is either a plastic or brass tube.
The measuring tube is housed in the overflow can, which catches all the water that
overflows from the measuring tube. It can hold a maximum of 20 inches of liquid.
The fourth component of the rain gauge is the graduated measuring stick with distinct
white markings. A meteorologist measures rainfall by dipping it through the funnel
opening to the bottom of the measuring tube and record the reading.
If the rainfall exceeds the maximum 2 inches the measuring tube can contain, it flows
into the overflow can which, contents get measured separately by pouring it into a
graduated measuring tube which records the reading.
Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge
The tipping bucket rain gauge is an automated rain meter that uses a "tipping bucket"
mechanism to measure rainfall. It is used by professional weather services' remote
weather stations and is also popular and widely used in home weather stations.
Like a standard rain gauge, it uses a collector funnel with a narrow pipe at the bottom to
capture rainfall. From the pipe, the water drops onto a finely-balanced seesaw device
with small buckets on each side.
At any point, one of the buckets is positioned directly under the pipe. When enough
water collects in the bucket, its weight makes it drops to the bottom and empties itself
while lifting the opposite bucket into position under the pipe.
This process keeps repeating as rainwater continues to flow through the funnel onto the
buckets. Each time a bucket drops to the bottom, it triggers an electronic switch. In turn,
the switch sends a wireless or landline signal to a base station.
Each signal represents a specific amount of rain that has been set up and calibrated in
the tipping bucket mechanism. By counting each signal and adding it up, weather
stations can calculate the rainfall over any given period.
As the water flows out of each bucket, it drains through predesigned openings in the
rain gauge, meaning there is no need for anyone to maintain the system. This
advantage makes it ideal for use in remote weather stations, which is also hard to
reach.
Weighing Precipitation Gauge

A weighing precipitation gauge consists of receiving bucket mounted on a weighing
device, usually a mechanical mechanism such as a spring. The rain accumulates in the
container, and the increased weight compresses the springs.
The amount of compression gets measured and used to calculate the weight of the
water. The measurement can be recorded manually with a pen on a drum or
electronically with a data-logger and send to the base weather station via landline or
wireless connection.
The weighing precipitation gauge has some advantages over the tipping bucket system,
including the ability to capture and measure snow and other solid forms of precipitation.
It is also better equipped to handle large downpours.
Most modern systems are also self-emptying, reducing the amount of maintenance
required on this type of rain gauge. Some weighing gauges are heated as well, which
allows them to melt solid forms of precipitation and prevent a build-up of snow.
Optical Rain Gauge

An optical rain gauge consists of a laser/infrared diode and photosensitive sensor
situated in enclosed spaces on opposites sides and below a row of funnels that receive
rainfall.
Each funnel has a small opening at the bottom through which raindrop forms when
enough precipitation accumulates inside the container. Once the waterdrop grows large
enough, it falls from the funnel and through the space between the laser diode and
photosensor.
As the drop falls through the beam of light, it scatters it enough for the photosensor to
detect and measure it. These measurements are recorded and send through a landline
or wireless connection to the base weather station.
Optical rain sensors have the advantage of not only measuring the amount of rainfall
but also the intensity and frequency of the rain through precise detection by the
photosensitive detector.
Acoustic Rain Gauge

Also known as hydrophones, acoustic rain gauges are used to measure the rainfall over
large bodies of water like dams, lakes, and the ocean.
The device itself gets place underneath the water's surface. The hydrophone can sense
and measure the impact of the raindrops hitting the surface of the water.
Each raindrop makes a unique sound, depending on its size and speed, which is called
a sound signature. An acoustic rain gauge is sensitive enough to detect the different
sound signatures to calculate the size and frequency of different raindrops.
IMPORTANCE OF RAIN GAUGE:

• To help monitor global weather patterns, and help meteorologists prepare for
natural disasters, and provide important information in predicting weather
patterns based on historical rainfall records.
• A rain gauge can help farmers make intelligent decisions. It will allow a farmer to
make more accurate decisions, leading to more productive harvests and aid
them deal with drought

Types of Rain Gauges

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Types of Rain Gauges

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Graduated Cylinder Rain Gauge

Weighing Precipitation Gauge

Optical Rain Gauge

Acoustic Rain Gauge

IMPORTANCE OF RAIN GAUGE:

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