The Weather Observer’s Handbook - A Practical Guide to Making Weather Observations

Aug 7, 2026

The Weather Observer’s Handbook offers a comprehensive, practical, independent guide to making weather observations, covering the selection, siting, and use of automatic weather stations and traditional instruments. It explains how to choose equipment, get the best performance, store and analyze observation records, and share data effectively, including online. The book serves both budget-conscious first-time observers and experienced professionals, aligning observing methods with World Meteorological Organization recommendations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages458

Reading Time19 h 14 min

AccessFree to download

Weather observing overview

Selecting and siting instruments

Using equipment effectively

Storing and analyzing records

Sharing observations online

Amateur and professional observing approaches

THE WEATHER OBSERVER ’ S HA N D B O O K The Weather Observer’s Handbook provides a comprehensive, practical, and independent guide to all aspects of making weather observations. Automatic weather stations today form the mainstay of both amateur and professional weather observing networks around the world, and yet – prior to this book – there existed no independent guide to their selection and use. Traditional and modern weather instruments are covered, including how best to choose and to site a weather station, how to get the best out of your equipment, how to store and analyze your records, and how to share your observations with other people and across the Internet. From amateur observers looking for help in choosing their first weather instruments on a tight budget to professional observers looking for a comprehensive and up-to-date guide covering World Meteorological Organization recommendations on observing methods and practices, all will welcome this handbook. Stephen Burt has a professional background in physics, meteorology and climatology, information technology, and marketing. He is a Fellow of the UK’s Royal Meteorological Society and is also a member of both the American Meteorological Society and the Irish Meteorological Society. He has run his own meteorological observatory for more than 40 years. After almost 10 years with the UK Met Office he took up a business career within the computer industry, successfully managing international marketing roles for several of the world’s largest high-technology firms. During this time he was also elected to the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing. Stephen is a regular contributor to the Royal Meteorological Society’s monthly magazine Weather, with more than 100 published papers or articles and several hundred published photographs to date. He is a recent member of the Royal Meteorological Society’s Council governing body, Chairman of the Society’s South-east Centre and a long-standing committee member of the Society’s Special Interest Group on Weather Observing Systems. Stephen was awarded the Royal Meteorological Society’s Gordon Manley Prize in 2006 . He is also a Trustee of the Chilterns Observatory Trust and Chairman of the Climatological Observers Link. He lives in southern England with his wife and two daughters. ‘This is a very impressive work! Stephen has done a great job of addressing many issues that I have personally wondered about. At last there is a comprehensive book on the tricky issue of accurately measuring the weather. This timely publication is a must for anyone in the market for a weather station, libraries, and weather observers of all stripes, both amateur and professional.’ – Christopher C. Burt (no relation to Stephen), Weather Historian, Wunderground, Inc., and author of Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book ‘Sophisticated equipment for weather observing is now within reach of more people than ever. Yet a poorly sited station or a wrongly interpreted report can do more harm than good. With this marvelous book, Stephen Burt has given us a very practical and helpful guide to installing and using one’s own reporting station, enhanced with perspective drawn from the centurieslong history of meteorological instrumentation. The Weather Observer’s Handbook is an ideal companion to the practice of monitoring the atmosphere.’ – Robert Henson, author of The Rough Guide to Weather and The Rough Guide to Climate Change ‘People have been making observations of the weather for thousands of years, and observations remain central to our capabilities to forecast the weather and predict the changing climate. But it’s not just professional meteorologists who make weather observations; there are literally millions of amateur observers across the world making observations every minute of every day. In meteorology, as well as in other science disciplines, amateur observers (I include all non-professional meteorologists in this) have always played a c

FAQs

What does the handbook focus on for weather observers?

It provides practical, independent guidance on making weather observations, including instrument selection, site setup, record keeping, analysis, and sharing observations.

How does the book help amateur observers compared with professionals?

It supports beginners with guidance for choosing first equipment on a tight budget while also providing a comprehensive, up-to-date reference for professional observers and observing practices.

Does the handbook address automatic weather stations and traditional instruments?

Yes. It covers both the use of automatic weather stations and traditional and modern weather instruments, including how to get the best out of equipment.

Aug 7, 2026

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