Tools of the Trade - Rain Gauges
A rain gauge is an instrument used by meteorologists to gather and measure liquid precipitation - rain and snow. Rain gauges are also called udometers and ombrometers.
Source: The Science Notebook
Rain gauges can be either automated or manual. Manual rain gauges need to be checked by an observer, while automated rain gauges update information electronically without supervision. The data collected by rain gauges can help detect the potential for floods.
The standard units used for precipitation are: 1 inch = 25.4 mm = 2.54 cm