Which is the Best Weather Station in New Zealand for Me?
Choosing the best home weather station for you can at first feel a bit overwhelming with the sheer number available, differences in features and huge differences in price. If you’re looking for an overview of what’s available and some buying tips before you get the credit card out - you’ve come to the right place.
The Ultimate Guide to Weather Stations
Weather stations are electronic or analogue devices that measure and record various atmospheric conditions, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed and direction, rainfall, and solar radiation. They can be installed in homes, schools, businesses, sports clubs, farms, or anywhere else where weather data is needed or desired.
Weather stations can help people plan their activities, protect their crops and properties, and learn more about the weather and climate in their area. They can also contribute to the global network of weather observations that are used by enthusiasts, meteorologists and climatologists to produce weather forecasts and climate models. This guide explains the different types of weather stations available, how they work, and how to choose the best home weather station in New Zealand for your needs and budget.
There are many types of weather stations available, ranging from simple indoor units to sophisticated expandable devices that can measure a wide range of environmental variables at a professional level of accuracy. Here, we will focus on electronic weather stations, rather than analogue devices such as traditional barometers.
All weather stations sold in New Zealand must have obtained compliance with the New Zealand regulations:
- Electromagnetic compatibility – if they plug into mains electricity
- Radio frequency transmission – if they have a wireless sensor
- WiFi transmitting devices – if they are a WiFi weather station
All products sold by us are fully compliant with the relevant New Zealand regulations.
Let’s Start With What You’re Looking to Achieve
Some of the main reasons people buy weather stations are to:
- know what to wear before you leave the house
- keep an eye on the temperature in a child’s bedroom
- simply enjoy seeing the numbers behind what’s happening in your environment
- know whether the wind is good for sailing, wing foiling etc
- be alerted if it starts to rain, so you can bring the washing in
- buy a quality gift that they’ll use every day.
Below is an overview of the three categories of weather station:
Complete Weather Stations
These are weather stations that can measure and display all the key weather variables (temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed/direction, and rainfall). Some also have additional features such as alarms, moon phase, UV level, and solar radiation.
Complete weather stations usually consist of an outdoor sensor unit that collects the data and sends it to the indoor display console via radio frequency wireless connection. The display console shows the current and historical indoor and outdoor weather data.
Today, most complete weather stations available are 'Complete WiFi Weather Stations' as they can connect to the Internet via your home WiFi and automatically upload their data to websites and mobile apps.
Complete stations are ideal for people who want to have a comprehensive overview of the weather conditions in their location. They are also suitable for educational purposes, as they can help students learn about meteorology and climate science.
Complete WiFi weather stations are ideal for people who want to access their weather data remotely from any device or share their data with others online via an online weather station map, such as:
UK Met Office Weather Observations Website (WOW).
Compliance with the New Zealand WiFi Regulations
All WiFi weather stations sold in New Zealand must be compliant with the New Zealand regulations for WiFi transmitting devices. You will know if a station is compliant if it has ‘R-NZ’ on the back of the display console. If it, doesn’t feature the ‘R-NZ’, it can’t legally be sold in New Zealand.
See our Complete WiFi Weather Stations.
Weather Forecasters
Weather Forecasters (sometimes referred to as Partial Stations) are weather stations that in addition to showing a weather forecast, measure and display a limited number of weather variables such as temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. They usually consist of an indoor display console and one or more remote sensors that collect the data and send it to the display console.
Some weather forecasters also have additional features, such as clocks, calendars etc. Weather forecasters are ideal for people who only need or want to monitor specific aspects of the weather in their location. They are also suitable for people who have limited space or budget for a weather station.
See our Weather Forecasters.
Professional Stations
These are weather stations that are designed for high accuracy, reliability, and durability. They usually consist of a console or a data logger that records and stores the data, and an outdoor sensor unit that collects the data and sends it to the console or data logger via a cable or a wireless connection. Some professional stations also have additional features, such as solar panels, calibration certificates, etc.
Professional stations are ideal for people who need precise and reliable weather data for scientific research or commercial applications. They are also suitable for people who live in harsh environments where ordinary weather stations may not function properly.
Prices for professional weather stations start at around $1,500 including GST. Some examples of professional stations are the Davis Vantage Vue and Davis Vantage Pro2.
Conclusion
Weather stations are useful and fun devices that can help you monitor and understand the weather and climate in your specific location. They can also help you plan your activities, protect your crops and property, and learn more about meteorology and climate science.
Depending on your needs and budget, you can choose from different types of weather stations, such as complete WiFi weather stations, weather forecasters, and professional stations. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you should consider carefully what features and functions you want from your weather station.
Weather stations are not only devices that measure and record the weather, but can also be tools that connect you with the weather community and the environment: If you have a WiFi weather station, you can add your own station to an online weather station map and share your data with others online. You can also compare your data with other weather stations in your area or around the world.
We hope this article has helped you learn more about weather stations and how to choose the best one for you.