Oh June …
June is our brightest month of the year with more hours in the sun than any other month. June 21st is the longest day of the year in our hemisphere for the single day with the most sunshine! So be careful outside and watch out for sunburn! Use lots of skin protection and wear a hat if you’re going to be outside.
Summer weather has been a curiosity for hundreds of years. Scientists of old were always fiddling with one scientific invention or another to better help us judge weather! Many of our current weather gauges are hundreds of years old, and not much has changed with these basic inventions since the original inventor came up with them.
Galileo Galilei was one of many inventors who came up with the modern invention of the thermometer. The scientist of old used various ways to tell the temperature and used Mercury or Alcohol in the glass tube.
The Barometer measures air pressure; low pressure usually means we’re in for some rain, whereas high pressure ensures clear skies. This was especially helpful to farmers. Evangelista Torricelli is historically credited with the invention of the Barometer. Wind velocity was an additional concern and how to measure it.
The Anemometer was invented in 1450 by Leon Battista Alberti with cups on a wheel in a circle so that he could measure the speed and, thus, judge how fast the wind was blowing. We see Anemometers on many rooftops in cities as well as in farm and agriculture areas.
A Hygrometer is used to measure moisture content. Francesco Folli invented a practical hygrometer in 1664. The first one was built by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1400s (he was one smart dude!)
Of course, with the current modern system of weather radars all over the USA (100 and counting) we do not need many of these old tried and true weather gauges. Our current radar system sends out microwave pulses and indicates rain, snow, and how hard these things are falling to give the weather folks a real good idea of current conditions almost anywhere in North America. This is especially helpful in predicting the path of storms as they move across the USA.
A fun project is to spend time with your kids or grandkids and build some of the weather gauges at home with stuff you more than likely have just laying around! www.wonderstruck.co.uk has videos you can use to have some fun!