In order to find the etymological origin of the term rain gauge we have to go to Latin and even Greek. And it is the result of the sum of two words from both languages:
-The Latin noun “pluvia”, which can be translated as “rain”.
-The Greek term “metron”, which is synonymous with “measure”.
A rain gauge is a device that is used to calculate the precipitation that falls in a certain place during a certain amount of time. What this instrument does is collect the fallen rain and determine how many millimeters in height the collected reaches.
Basic rain gauges have an opening through which the rain enters, which falls through a funnel into a container marked with a ruler. By observing in this rule how far the water reaches, it is possible to know how many millimeters of rain fell from when the collection began until the observation was made.
The first rain gauges were developed several centuries before Christ. Measuring rainfall allowed estimating how crops would yield, which helped perfect the tasks of agriculture.
The simplest rain gauges (which were nothing more than containers with a ruler) gave way to others of greater complexity, capable of constantly measuring rain, without the need for an operator to approach every certain amount of time (generally, twelve hours) to take the corresponding notes.
Today, rain gauges are still one of the most important instruments of meteorological stations, together with thermometers (to measure temperature), anemometers (measure wind speed) and barometers (designed to calculate wind pressure). atmosphere).
There are different types of rain gauges, among which we would highlight the following:
-Manual rain gauge, which simply and simply indicates the rain that has fallen in a specific place.
-Siphon rain gauge, which is used regularly to know the average intensity of rain in a certain period of time.
-Totalizing rain gauge, which indicates the amount of fallen water that has fallen in the twelve hour interval.
At the domestic level, it is possible to build a rain gauge with a jar or other container and a funnel. It is only necessary to mark the scale with a ruler and leave the rain gauge outdoors (a garden, a balcony, a terrace, etc.).
In addition to all the above, we must take into account other fundamental aspects about the installation and use of the rain gauge, among which we would highlight the following:
-Never place one near clotheslines, waterfalls, walls or under the branches of a tree.
-The support on which the aforementioned device is located must be kept in a vertical position at all times.
-To keep it always clean you have to undertake a very simple action. You just have to use clean water and a little mild detergent.
-In activities such as agriculture, the use of rain gauges is essential to know the rains that are going to fall. And it is that these are basic to know when to carry out certain plantations or when the crops can suffer certain damages.