Setting everything up is pretty easy. There's some fiddly calibration to be done with the rain gauge and anemometer, and it's worth investing in a shield for the outdoor thermometer, which Netatmo can supply, but you're given clear instructions all the way.

Similarly, you'll want to place the indoor unit somewhere well-ventilated, but away from open windows, radiators or direct sunlight. It's an expensive gadget by anyone's standards, but if you're looking for a simple solution to log and monitor your local environment - both inside and outside - it could be the ideal addition to your home.

Do you have a weather station at home?

Tempest’s temperature readings tend to run a little high, and its weather forecasts were the worst in this roundup, missing on average by 5.2 degrees. Tempest’s forecasts tend to be pretty wild, including one that guessed the high would be 9 degrees lower than Netatmo and another that forecast a 30 percent chance of “wintry mix” precipitation on a day when there was no rain and we had a 40-degree low. That’s odd because forecasting is supposed to be Tempest’s forte, using machine learning to “significantly improve the forecast over time,” per the company. I’ve been testing the device for several months and still see some pretty out-there predictions on otherwise unremarkable days. The included Netatmo Personal Weather Station also leaves the door open for plenty of aftermarket accessorization such as pairing the Netatmo Smart Rain Gauge and Smart Anemometer. The Netatmo weather station also works with the Apple HomeKit for those looking to add to their connected smart home. By protecting the Weather Station’s Outdoor Module from bad weather, the shield can improve the accuracy of its readings. It’s easy to install along a wall or post with the accessories provided and protects the Outdoor Module from direct sunlight, rain and snow while allowing air to circulate around it. The Outdoor Module of the Netatmo Smart Home Weather Station is durable and moisture resistant. However, to maximise its lifespan and ensure more accurate readings, it’s recommended not to place it in direct sunlight or expose it to particularly bad weather. Depending on where the Outdoor Module user lives or the garden/balcony layout, it can be challenging to find an appropriate place to install the Module. This is no longer a problem with the Shield. Whether it’s sunny, wet or windy, the Outdoor Module measures the temperature accurately. The Weather Station Observations from amateur stations and those not part of the Met Office’s official network cannot be considered for entry into the official records as they’re not subject to the same internationally agreed standards that are required for the official records. Do you have a weather station at home?

It's really hard to find any fault with the Netatmo Smart Carbon Monoxide Alarm. I guess the price is enough to put some people off, especially when you consider some households might need more than one. Netatmo’s app is what makes it one of the best products in this space. It’s intuitive and easy to read, and it collects data forever. Want to see a graph of daily high and low temperatures over the last month? It’s easy to zoom in and out of the data to pinpoint exactly what interests you. Until I replaced my old Netatmo system with a new one for this review, I had access to years’ worth of data all in one place. Netatmo’s temperature gauge is quite accurate, but unfortunately its forecasts aren’t the best, with an average variance of 4.8 degrees. However, sometimes Netatmo really nails it when other units whiff: It was the only unit in the roundup to accurately predict a freak warm day in the middle of the test period. To ensure consistency of measurements in the records, weather stations must meet strict criteria, in alignment with meteorological organisations across the world. This includes specific standards on the levels of grass-cover within the observations area, as well as having enough clear space for the weather station to be free from the influence of non-meteorological factors on the readings. Firstly, it links to your home's WiFi. There's no hub, just a very easy connection process on a smartphone app. This means, straight away, you can be alerted to any presence of Carbon Monoxide with an instant notification. Frost hollow where overnight temperatures on still clear nights may be far lower than at neighbouring locations.

Verifying records

These weather stations measure a large variety of different meteorological parameters, including air temperature; atmospheric pressure; rainfall; wind speed and direction, humidity; cloud height and visibility. You’ll find weather stations located across the UK, often in wide open space so observations can be accurately recorded. For example, official weather stations are often located at airports as they have plenty of open space making them a good place for observations to take place. However, the observation equipment is set an internationally-agreed distance from the runway to ensure no external factors can influence readings in any way. I thoroughly enjoyed the Netatmo Weathermap feature, which allows you to take a look at Netatmo weather station readings in your area and around the globe. Price: Hard to justify the high price Update, July 7, 2021: This article was changed to reflect some recent improvements to the way data is presented in the Tempest app. If you'd like some increased functionality, the web app has a few extra features, including the ability to export your data to Excel - this is only possible for the outdoor sensors, though.

In the era of smart homes and digital assistants, rudimentary weather apps feel very last century. Today, personal weather stations are becoming a popular addition to the increasingly interconnected modern home. This market is brimming with options at the moment, ranging from serviceable budget systems to multi-instrument meteorological beasts. We recently curated a piece on the best weather stations you can buy and in this review, we take a closer look at one of the best designs out there, the Netatmo Personal Weather Station. So how does this model compare to the rest of this burgeoning market? We’ll answer this question and many others below. The modified hamburger button on the top-left gives users access to more in-depth meteorological data and I thoroughly enjoyed the Netatmo Weathermap feature. This allows you to take a look at Netatmo weather station readings in your area and around the globe. Together, these individual stations create a very cool, global patchwork of localized data. It’s easy enough to load line graphs illustrating long-term changes in humidity, temperature, noise, etc. and zoom-in on specific moments down to the minute. Truth be told, it does feel a little constricted zooming in and out of a line graph on a smartphone to take a closer look at granular data and toggling through to compare separate graphs. With regards to the additional sensors, the rain gauge should sit just above ground level, away from the shelter of trees or buildings. The wind sensor, however, is the most difficult sensor for which to find a suitable mounting location. Unless you live in open countryside, it's likely that your wind sensor will experience significant obstruction from surrounding trees or buildings, meaning the readings will not reflect reality.

Weather station sites

It does feel a little constricted zooming in and out of a line graph on a smartphone to take a closer look at granular data. Want to know which air purifiers really pull dust, pollen and pollutants from the air? See our best air purifiers. What is the Netatmo Weather Station?

While normal carbon monoxide detectors have a piercing alarm built in, that can be heard around the house - as does the Netatmo one, incidentally - that's not going to help you if you're out shopping. Consistency of measurements is vital across the network, both for informing our forecasts and for the long-term weather and climate records of the UK. The rising and falling of the barometric pressure links up to a very reliable forecasting system, and the air quality - measuring things like humidity and CO2 levels - can send alerts if the system detects high levels, giving you a reminder to open a window, for example.

Location of weather stations

There's lots of weather stations on the market, if you know where to look, but Netatmo's Smart Weather Station does it differently. It takes out the complications, makes everything really simple and easy to understand, and it's just so elegant and robust. Linking it up to WiFi - usually the complicated bit - happened instantly, and it now just sits a few feet from my boiler cupboard, ready to let me know if I'm in any danger. As long as you have an internet connection, you can use the web or mobile app to monitor all of your weather station's readings anytime, anywhere. Overall, we found it to be well-presented and easy to navigate. We hope this will appeal to schools, amateur meteorologists, and weather enthusiasts across the UK. Compact, cylindrical and elegantly designed with an aluminium casing (recyclable material), the Netatmo Smart Home Weather Station comprises two modules: one for outside, and one for inside. They measure the temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, air quality and noise pollution levels. The Netatmo Weather Station transfers the data via Wi-Fi to its dedicated app.