We can’t give specific instructions for siting the station, as this depends on your school and environment. We’ve mounted them on walls, rooftops, fences, and even plumbing pipes stuck in the ground. As long as the sensors are open to the elements, then that’s fine. To state the obvious:
- the rain gauge needs to collect rain
- the anemometer and wind vane need to be in the wind
- the air sensor box needs to breathe
- the weather station needs to be connected to power and your network via an Ethernet cable
You may not be able to find an ideal location. Perhaps trees block the wind, or the rain gauge is partially sheltered by an overhang. Please still install your weather station! You could even use this as a learning opportunity: would it be possible, for example, to automatically take things like reduced rain readings into account? It’s also a great chance to get your students involved in a bit of problem solving and research, and to get other departments in the school involved.
One way to improve your weather readings is to house it in a Stevenson screen. You can find some ideas for building your own here, and there are plenty of plans on the web. Again, this is an excellent opportunity for students and other school departments to get involved.