Weather stations are an essential aid to collect data needed for a weather forecast for meteorologists. But weather stations are also in use for private areas.

A simple weather station for someone whose hobby is meteorology is a simple installation. It measures the air pressure. When there is a change in the air pressure, one can tell whether the weather is going to change. When the air pressure rises, the weather gets better, when it drops, the weather deteriorates. Usually these simple weather stations include a hygrometer that measures humidity and a thermometer that measures air temperature. It can be fastened to the wall.

Complex stations can also measure precipitation and wind speed and they must be mounted outside, normally at a height of about 2 m and of course without trees or buildings blocking them. Nowadays these outstations usually transmit the data to a base station in a building, which makes it easier to read the data. Other information is also integrated sometimes: the date, the time, moon phases or the inside temperature, to name just a few. These kinds of stations generally require power in the shape of batteries or accumulators. The data must be calibrated to make it reliable; otherwise one must expect the data that is displayed to differ considerably from the actual data.

Professional weather stations, for example the ones that are equipped by the German Weather Service, make sure that the data that is measured is not falsified, which requires a number of precautionary procedures. A large number of the stations are maintained by people working in an honorary capacity who read the measurement readings at specified times. Automatic measuring stations transmit these data to the central stations in Offenbach, Germany. Solar technology makes it possible to install these kinds of stations in places that are usually impossible to get to, because they can be operated without electricity.

The data in full-time measuring stations is measured more frequently than in the secondary ones. The full-time ones generally have additional measuring devices and sensors and can be equipped for large-area measurements. Typical devices include psychrometers, which determine the humidity, maximum and minimum thermometers to determine the outside temperature and its course, a thermo hygrograph to determine the temperature and humidity, pluviometers, a vane and a wind gauge.

Moreover there are installations that determine the duration of sunshine, global insolation, ground temperature, and other devices. Data readings alone are not enough. There must be large-scale calculations in order to be able to make reliable predictions or determine research results. Meteorology is therefore an area where super computers are used, because it is the only way to get a grip on the amount of data. These make it possible to have predictions available for every place and several days, at any time.