A rain gauge is the best way to determine how much precipitation your home or property has received. With such a wide variety of rain gauges available, it can be overwhelming to select the best for your needs. For this reason, we have created this up-to-date guide to modern rain gauges.

About Rain Gauges

Local weather reports sometimes differ significantly from the conditions you experience. A rain gauge is the best instrument to determine how much rain your home or property has received.

Rain gauges are popular weather measuring devices for homeowners and essential instruments for many businesses and professionals. There are several styles of rain gauges and different methods used to obtain precipitation measurements. Each version has unique benefits, depending on your application. This article will categorise rain gauges into four main segments to help you find the best for your rain monitoring application.

1. Digital Indoor to Console Sets

Indoor to Console Sets collect rain information from an outdoor sensor and relay it wirelessly to an indoor digital console. Check out some of the excellent examples below:

Digital Rain Gauge with Temperature
Product Code: IC-XC0430

The IC-XC0430 Digital Rain Gauge is the most popular rain gauge available at Instrument Choice. It’s budget-friendly yet brimming with features.

Key Features

• This outdoor wireless self-emptying rain collector measures both rainfall and temperature.
• The rain collector transmits data up to 150 metres via a low power radio frequency to the main indoor display.
• The display unit has a HI/LO alert alarm, displays rainfall in terms of rain rate, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly records and has a radio-controlled clock built-in.

See how straightforward it is to set up the IC-XC0430 Digital Rain Gauge in the video below

Digital Rain Gauge with Temperature and Humidity
Product Code: IC-724-1415BL

The IC-724-1415BL Digital Rain Gauge with Temperature and Humidity features a tough outdoor rain gauge and a separate temperature and humidity sensor.

Key Features

• Rain scale range from 0 to 9999mm.
• The LCD shows a detailed rain graph with ten sections that change with rain readings.
• 24 hour Rain Alert and Rain HISTORY view: 1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days, month, year and total.
• Backlight (10 seconds at 100%, with a button press).
• Free-Standing Design. 

2. Data Logging Rain Gauges

Data logging rain gauges are suitable for longer-term deployments and the comprehensive collection of rain information.

Data Logging Rain Gauge (Metric) Data Logger
Product Code: RG3-M

Reliable, robust, and field-proven, the RG3-M Data Logging Rainfall Gauge is entirely self-contained. This battery-powered rainfall data collection and recording system comprises a HOBO Pendant Event Data Logger integrated into a tipping bucket rain gauge. The RG3-M automatically records up to 3200 mm of rainfall data to determine rainfall rates, times, and duration.

Key Features

• The self-contained rainfall logger includes a high-quality tipping-bucket rain gauge and a HOBO Pendant Event Data Logger.
• Each tip of the rain spoon is time and date-stamped, providing the in-depth details needed to determine rainfall duration and rates.
• This unit can be set up to record the temperature when used with an optional radiation shield.

3. IoT Enabled Rain Gauges

IoT (internet of things) rain gauges allow for the real-time viewing of rainfall measurements.

Precipitation Monitoring Station with Stainless Steel Rain Gauge
Product Code: IC-SNiP-SRG-A

The SNiP-SRG is a 'Sensor Node Integrated Package' designed for LoRa, LoRaWAN, FSK, or CAT-M1 communication of real-time precipitation and rainfall measurements. We recommend this unit for continuous environmental monitoring. The Rain Gauge Kit includes 1 x SRG0 rain gauge, an AD-NODE with LoRaWAN communications, 3x AA LiFeS2 batteries, and a node mounting bracket.

Key Features

• Utilises LoRaWAN low-power long-range connectivity.
• Settings can be altered remotely via LoRaWAN or locally via USB.
• Fully reconfigurable via LoRaWAN downlinks.
• The IC-SNiP-SRG-A integrates a research-grade Rainfall Gauge with 0.2mm tips - offers high accuracy, even during extreme rainfall events.

4. Weather Stations with Rain Gauges

There is an enormous variety of multi-sensor weather stations with rain gauges built-in or included as a separate sensor.

NETATMO Rain Gauge for the Weather Station
Product Code: IC-NRG01-WW

The IC-NRG01-WW Netatmo Rain Gauge is a Rain Gauge attachment sold separately to the Netatmo Urban Weather Station (required). The Netatmo Rain Gauge delivers real-time rainfall and accumulated precipitation data straight to a smartphone or tablet, enabling you to track information precisely and conveniently.

Key Features

• Provision of real-time readings of the amount of rainfall and accumulated precipitation data.
• View instant and precise rainfall data and receive alerts on your smartphone from anywhere.
• You can save and analyse your saved rainfall data at any time. 

7 Inch Colour WiFi Wireless Weather Station
Product Code: IC0370

With a 7" colour LCD, this weather station can measure a host of parameters and connect to the internet via WiFi to get your data anywhere. The rainfall sensor is built into the outdoor multi-sensor. Via the indoor console or the included app (if connected to WiFi), you can view your rainfall information in inches or millimetres and display rainfall in rate, event, day, week, month and total.

Key Features

• Measures and displays rainfall, indoor/outdoor temperature, indoor/outdoor humidity, humidity trend, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, heat index, dew point, light levels, forecast and time.
• Rainfall and collected environmental information can be viewed on the indoor console and sent via WiFi to the free mobile app.
• From the app, users can set up automatic upload to third-party weather services such as WeatherUnderground so that you can track, view and share your collected data.

Conclusion

The extensive assortment of rain gauges available offers various features and specifications - so you’re almost certain to find a device that’s right for your application. And one thing is guaranteed – with a rain gauge; you’re going to love it when it rains!

Can’t see a rain gauge here that suits your application? There’s plenty more! Browse all rain gauges and weather stations.

For more information on any of the gauges listed above, speak with an Instrument Choice Scientist: Call 1300 737 871 or email [email protected].