Wind Speed Instruments

Anemometer

• An anemometer is the most high-tech and accurate device available for measuring wind speed as well as wind pressure. Anemometers come in a variety of shapes. Most common are cup anemometers, which have hollowed-out cups that catch the air and cause the anemometer to spin, and windmill anemometers, which look a little like wind vanes. Windmill anemometers have the added benefit of measuring wind direction.

Windsocks

• Windsocks are a less advanced, but still popular way to measure wind speed. They are most often found at airports. Windsocks are cone-shaped pieces of fabric, which sit atop poles. They fill with air and become more straight and parallel with the ground as more wind passes through. If the wind is blowing particularly fast, they will be completely straight. When the wind is not blowing very hard, they become limp.

Weather Vanes

• Weather vanes, also known as wind vanes, were the first instruments designed to measure wind speed and direction. While they are now mostly kept for decorative purposes, they can still be used for this function. Observing the speed at which the weather vane is spinning gives a rough idea of how fast the wind is traveling. Weather vanes equipped with directional arrows will tell you which direction the wind is blowing. These devices are often found atop barns.