What Are the Six Elements of Weather?

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The six basic elements of weather include temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation and cloudiness. When combined, these elements can describe the weather conditions extant.

Temperature is simply a measurement of the atmosphere in terms of heat or cold. Temperature influences all the other basic weather elements, and as such, is considered a crucial element for defining the weather conditions.

Humidity describes the quantity of water vapor in the atmosphere, while atmospheric pressure simply refers to the heaviness or weight of air in the atmosphere. Humidity can be measured by tools such as the hygrometer, psychrometer and dew-point sensor, while air pressure is measured using a barometer.

Wind can be defined as air in motion that moves from areas of high air pressure to those of low air pressure and is measured primarily using a wind sock. Precipitation refers to any form of water resulting from the rapid condensation of moisture. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, fog, mist, hail, sleet and drizzle.

Lastly, cloudiness refers to the state of clouds in a given area and time. Different types of clouds signal different weather conditions. For instance, lighter clouds indicate little or no precipitation, while dark, heavy clouds point to heavy rain or thunderstorms.