Abstract:
An “Automated Rain Gauge” has been designed and constructed
successfully using a microcontroller. The method is based on measuring the
mass of rain water using a load cell. The rainfall is measured and recorded
automatically and recorded data displayed hourly by an LCD (liquid crystal
display) attached to the rain gauge. A green light is displayed at moderate
rainfall levels. If the rainfall exceeds a pre-determined threshold level, a red
light will be displayed with a warning alarm. The rain gauge shows a good
linear relation of rainfall to the mass of water collected on the load cell. The
accuracy could be improved further using a more sensitive load cell. One
main feature of the rain gauge is a warning to be given automatically if the
rainfall exceeds a predetermined value.