What is an online digital weather station?
A weather station is a set of tools that measure the weather. A digital one gives numbers, not a needle. An online one also sends those numbers over the internet.
Why do this? Many people can see the weather of one place, and the numbers are saved to compare day by day.
Sensor data collection
A sensor is a part that feels one thing and gives a signal. A weather station uses:
- Temperature sensor: how hot or cold the air is (in °C).
- Humidity sensor: how much water is in the air (in %).
- Wind sensor: cups that spin faster in strong wind (in m/s).
- Rain sensor: a small bucket that tips each time it fills (in mm).
A small board (a tiny computer, for example an Arduino or ESP32) reads each signal many times a minute and keeps it as a number. Reading again and again is called sampling. Place sensors in the shade, away from walls, so the numbers are true.
Sending the data
The board joins the internet through wifi. It sends a small message such as temperature 28, wind 4, rain 0. The message goes to a server, a computer that is always on. This server is often called the cloud. The server saves each message with its time.
If wifi stops, a good board keeps the numbers and sends them later.
Online display
A web page asks the server for the newest numbers and draws them as big digits, a gauge or a line chart. It can refresh every minute. Good displays use clear units, a time stamp, and colours that tell hot from cold.
Rule: the page only shows what the sensors sent. If a sensor is wrong, the page is wrong too, so check it against a normal thermometer.
Try it: build a paper weather station,Try it: बनाएँ कागज़ का मौसम केंद्र,<p>Take a thermometer, a paper cup and a ruler. Put the thermometer in the shade at 9 am, 12 noon and 4 pm and write the three numbers in a table. First predict which time is hottest, then check. Draw a line chart. This is what the board and web page do for you.</p>,<p>एक थर्मामीटर, काग़ज़ का कप और स्केल लें। थर्मामीटर को छाया में सुबह 9, दोपहर 12 और शाम 4 बजे रखकर तीन संख्याएँ तालिका में लिखें। पहले अनुमान लगाएँ कि कब सबसे गर्म होगा, फिर जाँचें। रेखा-चार्ट बनाएँ। यही काम बोर्ड और वेब पेज आपके लिए करते हैं।</p>
undefinedKey formulas and definitions
- Path: sensor → board → wifi → cloud → web page
- Units: °C, %, m/s, mm
- Average = sum of readings ÷ number of readings
- Sampling = reading again and again
Worked examples
1. List the four jobs of a weather station in order.
Sense (sensors measure), Read (the board makes numbers), Send (wifi to the cloud), Show (web page).
2. A board reads temperature 26, 28, 30 °C in three minutes. What average does the page show?
Sum = 26 + 28 + 30 = 84. Average = 84 ÷ 3 = 28 °C.
3. The page shows 80 °C in a school yard. What do you check first?
The sensor. 80 °C is not possible for air outside. Maybe the sensor sits in direct sun, or a wire is loose. Compare with a normal thermometer.
Common mistakes
- Putting the temperature sensor in direct sun. It then reads the heat of the box, not the air.
- Mixing units, for example showing rain in cm on the page but mm on the board.
- Believing the web page measures the weather. Only the sensors measure; the page just shows.
- Forgetting a time stamp, so nobody knows when the number was taken.