Handheld Anemometers

Wind speed meter options for everyone; from the wallet-friendly Technoline models, to the professional-grade made-in-USA Kestrel wind meters.  

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A Beginner's Guide to Anemometers

Anemometer for sailing

What is an Anemometer?

An anemometer is a measurement device that measures wind speed. It’s as easy as that really. Since the word anemometer isn’t the easiest to say or spell, wind speed measuring devices are often referred to as a wind gauge or wind speed meter.

The word anemometer actually originated from the Greek word “anemos”, which translates to “wind”. Nowadays anemometer is still the most commonly used term for referring to a wind speed measuring tool, especially in the scientific field.

Anemometers come in different types: handheld anemometers, digital anemometers, wind gauges part of a more advanced home weather station and more. We’ll go into more detail about each of these later.

The Invention of the Anemometer

The first wind gauge was created around 1450 A.D. by Italian author and architect Leon Battista Alberti. Over the centuries, it has been improved by a number of different people. One of the more notable improvements of the wind meter was the invention of the three-cup wind meter by John Patterson in 1926.

in 1991, Derek Weston developed the three-cup anemometer even further, by added the ability to measure wind direction as well as wind speed. This was achieved by adding a tag to one of the wind cups. With this addition, the speed of the anemometer moves faster or slower depending on whether the tag is moving with or against the wind, and from this the wind direction can be calculated. However, the wind vane is still by far the most common device for measuring  wind direction.

Over the years, the basic anemometer hasn’t changed all that much. But in the last century, there have appeared some more futuristic wind meters. From ultrasonic wind gauges to hot wire anemometers and doppler wind speed meters, which are often used in weather radar to measure the movement of air.

The Importance of the Wind Speed Meter

Besides temperature, precipitation and humidity; wind is one of the main meteorological parameters. It is thus very important that we can measure wind speed to better understand it and make better weather forecasts.

Data from weather stations with anemometers and doppler radars with wind speed measuring capabilities are used by big computer models to make weather forecasts. The invention of the anemometer has greatly improved our knowledge about weather processes.

Anemometers aren't just used in the meteorological field - here are some other use cases:

●      Physicists use anemometers to study the way gasses move

●      Anemometers are used in the sailing and maritime sector to measure wind speed and direction

●      Paragliders and glider aeroplanes use the data from the anemometer to ensure conditions are safe to fly

●      Wind gauges are often present on the top of cranes to monitor whether the wind is not too strong.

How Does Wind Form?

Wind doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It is the result of differences in air pressure around the globe. Air generally wants to move from a zone of high pressure to a zone of low pressure. But due to the rotation of the earth, it actually moves clockwise around high-pressure zones and anti-clockwise around low-pressure zones in the northern hemisphere.

The Types of Anemometers

There are many of different types of anemometers: In this section, we will focus on the more common ones.

Digital vs Manual Anemometers

Most wind meters nowadays are digital wind meters. This means that the data from the anemometer is displayed on a screen. In the early days, people had to count the number of rotations of the anemometer to determine wind speed.

Anemometers Integrated into Weather Stations

There is another big distinction we need to make: some anemometers are part of a larger installation - a weather station for example. In this case, the all the anemometer functions are split between the wind speed sensor mounted outdoors and the display console, which calculates and displays the wind speed. These wind gauges stay in the same place and are not portable.

Handheld Anemometers

The next type is the handheld anemometer - this is a portable anemometer as the name suggests. Most handheld anemometers are pocket-sized and have a built-in display screen where the readings from the wind meter are displayed in real-time.

A hand held anemometer can also come with a variety of other measurement tools, often found on weather stations. These parameters can include:

●      Relative humidity

●      Air temperature

●      Air pressure

Cup, Vane and Hot-Wire Anemometers

●      If you think of a wind meter, you probably think of a cup wind meter. This type of anemometer is based on the initial design by Alberti. Most of the time the wind meter uses three cups in a horizontal plane. The number of rotations per minute determines wind speed. Cup anemometers are mainly used in weather stations.

●      The second type: the vane anemometer is the most used one in handheld anemometers. This wind meter consists of blades, almost like a propellor. The blades face the wind directly, like a windmill.

●      One last type that is sometimes found in handheld anemometers is the hot-wire wind meter. A wire is heated to a certain temperature, whereafter it is measured at what pace the wire cools down again. The faster it cools, the higher the wind speed is.

Units to Measure Wind Speed

Wind speed can be measured in multiple units. On most wind anemometers you can choose the unit of your liking. There are three categories of units: metric units, imperial units and other units.

Metric units:

●      Kilometre per hour (km/h)

●      Metre per second (m/s)

Imperial units:

●      Miles per hour (mph)

●      Feet per minute (ft/min)

Other units:

●      Knots (kn)

●      Beaufort scale (Bft)

The Highest Wind Speeds Recorded with Anemometers

To end off, we will take a look at the highest wind speeds ever recorded using anemometers. If you get a hand held anemometer yourself, you can go and find the highest wind speeds in your area, although you will probably (and hopefully) not come close to the highest wind speeds recorded.

The Absolute Highest Wind Speed Ever Recorded

The disputed absolute highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was during the Bridge Creek-Moore tornado in Oklahoma (USA) in 1999. The measurement was from a doppler radar anemometer. Although exact wind speeds are up for debate, the wind speed probably surpassed 490km/h (305mph).

This type of anemometer is used to measure wind speeds over a great area, but it is less accurate than other anemometers. The reason we don’t have data from other anemometers in tornadoes is quite obvious: they tend to get destroyed when a tornado hits!

Highest Wind Speed Outside a Tornado

The highest wind speed ever recorded outside a tornado was 408km/h (253mph) at an inhabited weather station on the Australian Barrow Island. It’s a wonder that the weather station even held up. The wind speed was recorded during the passing of tropical cyclone Olivia in 1996.

All measurements of the top highest wind speeds were done using automatic systems. The reason that there are no handheld devices in the top is that human beings can only withstand wind speeds up to 160-240km/h (100-150mph).

Conclusion

With such a wide range of handheld wind meter options available, it can be initially overwhelming to know which one is right for you. With the help of this guide, hopefully, you have begun to identify the most suitable solution for your application, but if you require additional support, or are thinking about a bulk order, simply reach out to our friendly team for assistance. Call 01243 558280, click on the webchat box below, or fill out our contact form.