Collecting weather, climate, ocean and water data
Our observation network has more than 11,000 pieces of equipment. This technology can be found in the sea, on land, in the sky and in space.
It collects data for our public weather information and the computer models that inform our forecasts and warnings.
Some observations become part of our climate data, tracking climate variability and change.
In this section, explore:
- rain radar and weather radars, including wind Dopplers
- weather balloons and radiosondes, and what to do if you find one
- flood, river and rain gauges, including snow gauges and how to take your own observations
- manual and automatic weather stations
- meteorological satellites, including geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites
- our ocean network, including wave buoys, drifting buoys, Argo floats and more.