Vane anemometers can either be static or rotating and are similar in principle to cup anemometers. Vane anemometers are very simple devices. Modern cup anemometers will usually have a digital reader attached.

But the basic principle and measurement style is the same. Modern cup anemometers are much more technologically advanced than the original 18th century device. The faster the cups spin, the faster the speed of the wind. When the wind blows, it pushes the cups around. As explained above, they are formed of a vertical stand with cups attached to the top. This is the 18th century device mentioned above.Ĭup anemometers work very simply. So, what are the most commonly used devices?ĥ Most Used Devices to Measure Wind Speed Cup AnemometerĪ cup anemometer is likely the kind you are most associated with (even if you don’t think you are).

The WMO recommended meters per second is the most commonly used. These are more traditional units of measurement. Other units of measurement include kilometers per hour (km/h), nautical miles per hour, and knots. The unit of measurement recommended by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is meters per second (m/s). In fact, they look like very simple devices.Īs with any kind of measuring, there are several units of measurement used for wind speed. Then, when the wind blows, it is caught within the hemispheres and the arms rotate.īut, as you can imagine, technology has come a long way since then. These hemispheres all face the same direction. They look almost like a candlestick.Īt the top of this base-stick are four arms with hollow hemispheres at the end. You have likely seen these original instruments. But the most famous style was developed in the 18th century. Although devices differ in style and can measure a range of different factors, the word anemometer refers to any device used to measure wind.Īnemometers were first developed around the 15th century. Meter comes from the Greek word metron meaning “to measure”. This tricky name comes from the Greek word anemos meaning “wind”. Wind speed is measured using a device called an anemometer.

Wind speed anemometer