Weather is an important element that shapes our daily activities and planning differently. That is why we need to get it right at all times if we intend to come up with good plans going forward. The need for the accurate result has pushed people to set own weather stations and avoid relying on the available institutions as they have been misleading to an extent. It is however not a cheap investment as the instruments are costly to set up and maintain the same. If you want to manage a weather station with limited resources, it is important to improvise some instruments that will not affect the results provided. Consider the following steps when you intend to devise a water barometer to ensure accurate forecasts.

First, you will need two plastic bottles that you can get easily at home. Make sure they are empty and clean when you settle for them. With a pair of scissors, snip the entire top as you target to reach the point where the bottles become straight rather than the usual curved part at the top. Inside the cut bottles, insert a ruler. Ensure that it stands up inside against the container sides. Consider wrapping around the bottle from outside to ensure the standing ruler inside remains in place. Use a clear or transparent taping to enable you to see the ruler readings while forecasting.

With the ruler firmly in its intended position proceed to insert a clean tubing. Make sure you don’t insert it up to the bottom as it should be just slightly above the bottom. Align it straight with the ruler and tape it in place. Ensure you tape the same above the water because coming into contact will loosen it and fall off after a few days. Forty centimeters of tubing is enough to slightly above water and stick out of the top part of the bottle. The tubing is recommended to overlap the bottle and hang loose for desired readings when forecasting.

The water barometer is now ready to be filled with water. Getting the reading from clear water can be difficult especially outside in the open. That is why you need to dye the water to the color of your choice and fill the same up to about halfway. Dyeing should not stress you since a few drops of food color will do. Now proceed to suck some of the liquid into the tube. The end you left loosely hanging outside the bottle is now where you will gently suck the water into the tube. Allow the water to move up to halfway up the tube. It is easy to spot the halfway mark since the liquid is colored. Since you are sucking to raise the water up, you will need to place your tongue at the sucking end to prevent the water from returning to the main bottle. Be careful not to swallow the content especially if you are not sure of the dye you used as it can be poisonous or you may suck it long past the halfway mark.

With the correct measurement taken, it is time to seal the tubing now. Consider using something tacky or even a chewing game. With the need to replace your tongue from holding the tube with something tacky, the chewing gum is the best and easy to seal as it will be in the mouth. Be quick to do the tacking to maintain the same pressure and retain the water at the right mark. There are chances of messing up so it should not dampen your efforts as you can start up again.

Finally, put a mark of the waterline on the outside part of the bottle. With a rise in the air pressure, the levels of water in the container will drop but now increase in the tubing. Similarly, when the pressure falls, the water levels will rise and drop in the pipe at the same time. These two scenarios enable you to study your data now. Water will rise in the tubing if the weather is clear but will fall when rainy or cloudy. The readings may differ with time, but with the ruler reading, you will keep the readings in check throughout. You just made one instrument to your weather station at minimal costs but accurate readings.