Why is "Naming wind by the direction it goes TO (not FROM)" a common mistake in Weather - Collecting Weather Data?

Why it happens: Intuitive but wrong. How to avoid it: Wind named by the direction it COMES FROM. A 'north wind' BLOWS FROM the north, towards the south. Source: 0460 Examiner Reports 2022-2024

Why is "Listing 'Stevenson screen' without explaining its design features" a common mistake in Weather - Collecting Weather Data?

Why it happens: Box-on-stilts feels obvious. How to avoid it: Mark scheme rewards WHITE (reflective), LOUVRED (ventilated), STANDARD HEIGHT, GRASS LOCATION. Multiple reasons.

Why is "Forgetting pressure units" a common mistake in Weather - Collecting Weather Data?

Why it happens: Less familiar than mm or °C. How to avoid it: Atmospheric pressure: hectopascals (hPa) or millibars (mb). Standard sea-level: ~1013 hPa.

Changing Coastal EnvironmentsCambridge IGCSE Geography (0460)

Weather - Collecting Weather Data

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Weather — Collecting Weather Data Study Notes — Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 (2024-2026 syllabus)

Standard meteorological instruments: rain gauge, thermometer, barometer, anemometer, wind vane, hygrometer, sunshine recorder. Stevenson screens. How weather data is collected for comparable readings.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0460 syllabus (2024-2026).

2.8.1 — Identify weather instruments and what they measure.
2.8.2 — Describe a Stevenson screen and its purpose.
2.8.3 — Explain how humidity is measured.

Weather instruments

Seven core instruments — know them all.

Instrument	Measures	Units
Rain gauge	Rainfall	mm
Thermometer	Temperature	°C
Maximum thermometer	Highest temp recorded	°C
Minimum thermometer	Lowest temp recorded	°C
Barometer (aneroid)	Atmospheric pressure	hPa or mb
Anemometer	Wind speed	km/h or m/s
Wind vane	Wind direction	N, NE, E, ...
Hygrometer (wet/dry bulb)	Humidity	%
Sunshine recorder	Sunshine hours	hours

Wind direction. Always named by the direction the wind COMES FROM. A 'north wind' BLOWS FROM the north.

Pressure. Standard sea-level: ~1013 hPa. LOW pressure (~990 hPa) = unstable, rainy. HIGH pressure (~1030 hPa) = settled, clear.

Cambridge tip. Match instrument to measurement — mark scheme expects exact pairings.

Seven core instruments to memorise.
Wind named by direction it COMES FROM.
Pressure: low = rain; high = clear.

See the full worked example for weather - collecting weather data →

Stevenson screen

White, louvred box that holds weather instruments.

Purpose. Houses thermometers and hygrometers in a STANDARDISED environment so readings are CONSISTENT and COMPARABLE across weather stations.

Design features.

WHITE colour — reflects sunlight, prevents heat absorption.
LOUVRED sides — air can circulate, so readings reflect ambient air (not stagnant air).
DOUBLE-LAYERED ROOF — extra insulation against solar heating.
STANDARD HEIGHT (~1.2m above ground) — above ground-level radiation effects but representative.

Standard location.

Open GRASS site (not concrete or near buildings).
AWAY from trees that would block wind or affect humidity.
AWAY from buildings that would radiate heat.

Cambridge tip. Mark scheme rewards the design features individually. White + louvred + height + location are all separately worth marks.

White, louvred, ventilated, 1.2m height.
Open grass site, away from buildings.
Ensures comparable readings worldwide.

See the full worked example for weather - collecting weather data →

Measuring humidity

Wet- and dry-bulb thermometers measure humidity from temperature difference.

Wet- and dry-bulb thermometer (hygrometer). Two thermometers side by side.

Mechanism.

DRY-BULB measures air temperature normally.
WET-BULB has its bulb wrapped in a damp wick. Water evaporates from the wick, COOLING the bulb.
Drier air → more evaporation → bigger cooling → lower wet-bulb reading.

Reading. The DIFFERENCE between dry and wet readings is the "depression". Look up the relative humidity (%) in a hygrometric table using the dry-bulb temperature and the depression.

Cambridge tip. Mark scheme expects students to know that DRY AIR causes MORE evaporation and a BIGGER temperature difference.

Two thermometers — dry and wet bulb.
Difference (depression) → humidity via table.
Drier air = bigger difference.

See the full worked example for weather - collecting weather data →

How it’s examined

Weather instruments appear on most Paper 1s. Most-tested: identify instruments (8 marks), describe Stevenson screen (5 marks), measure humidity (5 marks).

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 syllabus (2024-2026); 0460 Examiner Reports 2022-2024; 0460/12 Oct/Nov 2024 question paper and mark scheme. Last reviewed 2026-05-09.

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Step-by-step worked examples — Weather - Collecting Weather Data

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on weather - collecting weather data, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Identify weather instruments and what they measure (8 marks)
Extended• Adapted from 0460/12 Oct/Nov 2024• weather, instruments
Question
Identify FOUR weather instruments and state what each measures. (8 marks)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Rain gauge (2 marks). Funnel + measuring cylinder. Measures RAINFALL (mm) over a period (typically 24 hours).
2. Step 2
  Thermometer (2 marks). Measures air TEMPERATURE (°C). Maximum thermometer records highest temperature; minimum thermometer records lowest.
3. Step 3
  Barometer (2 marks). Measures atmospheric PRESSURE (hPa or millibars). Low pressure → unstable, often rainy; high pressure → settled, often clear.
4. Step 4
  Anemometer (2 marks). Spinning cups measure WIND SPEED (km/h or m/s). Often paired with a WIND VANE which shows wind DIRECTION.
Answer
Rain gauge (rainfall), thermometer (temperature), barometer (pressure), anemometer (wind speed). Other valid: wind vane (direction), wet/dry bulb (humidity), sunshine recorder.
2Why instruments are kept in a Stevenson screen (5 marks)
Extended• weather
Question
Describe a Stevenson screen and explain FOUR reasons why weather instruments are kept inside one. (5 marks)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Description (1 mark). A white, ventilated box mounted ~1.2m above the ground, holding thermometers, hygrometer, and other instruments.
2. Step 2
  Reason 1 — white colour reflects sunlight (1 mark). Avoids heat absorption that would distort readings.
3. Step 3
  Reason 2 — louvred sides (1 mark). Air can circulate freely; readings reflect ambient air, not still air.
4. Step 4
  Reason 3 — height above ground (1 mark). Standard ~1.2m height — above ground heat radiation but below tree-canopy effects.
5. Step 5
  Reason 4 — open grass site (1 mark). Located on grass, away from buildings or trees, to capture representative readings.
Answer
Stevenson screen = ventilated white box at standard height. Ensures consistent, comparable, accurate readings across weather stations.
3Measure humidity with wet/dry bulb (5 marks)
Extended• humidity
Question
Describe how a wet- and dry-bulb thermometer measures humidity. (5 marks)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Two thermometers (1 mark). A standard DRY-BULB thermometer measures air temperature directly.
2. Step 2
  Wet bulb (2 marks). The wet-bulb thermometer's bulb is wrapped in a damp wick. Water EVAPORATES from the wick, COOLING the bulb. Drier air → more evaporation → bigger temperature drop.
3. Step 3
  Calculate humidity (2 marks). The DIFFERENCE between dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures gives a DEPRESSION value. Read off the relative humidity from a hygrometric table.
Answer
Two thermometers; difference (depression) tells you relative humidity. Larger difference = drier air.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Weather - Collecting Weather Data

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for weather - collecting weather data answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0460 sitting.

Rain gauge
Examiner keyword
Instrument for measuring rainfall amount. Funnel directs rain into a graduated cylinder.
Thermometer
Examiner keyword
Instrument measuring air temperature. Max/min thermometers record extremes; standard thermometers give current value.
Barometer
Examiner keyword
Instrument measuring atmospheric pressure (hPa, mb). Aneroid type is common.
Anemometer
Examiner keyword
Spinning cup instrument measuring wind speed.
Wind vane
Examiner keyword
Pointer that aligns with wind direction. Wind named by the direction it COMES FROM.
Stevenson screen
Examiner keyword
White, louvred, ventilated box that holds weather instruments at standard height. Ensures comparable, accurate readings.
Hygrometer (wet/dry bulb)
Examiner keyword
Instrument using two thermometers to measure humidity. Difference between dry and wet readings gives relative humidity.
Sunshine recorder
Glass sphere that focuses sunlight onto a calibrated card, burning a track. Total burn length gives daily sunshine hours.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Weather - Collecting Weather Data

The traps other students keep falling into on weather - collecting weather data questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0460 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Naming wind by the direction it goes TO (not FROM)
0460 Examiner Reports 2022-2024
Why it happens
Intuitive but wrong.
How to avoid it
Wind named by the direction it COMES FROM. A 'north wind' BLOWS FROM the north, towards the south.
✕Listing 'Stevenson screen' without explaining its design features
Why it happens
Box-on-stilts feels obvious.
How to avoid it
Mark scheme rewards WHITE (reflective), LOUVRED (ventilated), STANDARD HEIGHT, GRASS LOCATION. Multiple reasons.
✕Forgetting pressure units
Why it happens
Less familiar than mm or °C.
How to avoid it
Atmospheric pressure: hectopascals (hPa) or millibars (mb). Standard sea-level: ~1013 hPa.

Practice questions

Exam-style questions with step-by-step worked solutions. Try one before checking the method.

Past paper style quiz

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Weather - Collecting Weather Data

Short Study Notes in the form of Slides

Detailed Study Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Identify weather instruments and what they measure (8 marks)

2Why instruments are kept in a Stevenson screen (5 marks)

3Measure humidity with wet/dry bulb (5 marks)

Rain gauge

Thermometer

Barometer

Anemometer

Wind vane

Stevenson screen

Hygrometer (wet/dry bulb)

Sunshine recorder

✕Naming wind by the direction it goes TO (not FROM)

✕Listing 'Stevenson screen' without explaining its design features

✕Forgetting pressure units

Practice questions

Past paper style quiz

Assess your understanding