Weather Station Guide

Clocks Central guide

How to choose a weather station

Choosing one is easy once you know what the dials do and where it's going to hang. Every weather station at Clocks Central is analogue: hang it up, set the barometer once, and it works. No batteries, no app.

Shop weather stations

What the three dials tell you

Most weather stations combine three instruments in one frame.

Barometer

Air pressure

The dial that hints at what's coming. Rising pressure usually means settled weather. Falling pressure usually means wind or rain is on the way.

Thermometer

Temperature

The temperature where the station hangs, in degrees Celsius. Indoors that's the room; outdoors it's the air around the house.

Hygrometer

Humidity

How much moisture is in the air. Handy in a sticky Queensland summer, or for working out which room gets damp in winter.

Some models have just one or two of these. A barometer on its own, such as the ARLO or QUIN, suits someone who mainly wants to read the weather ahead.

Analogue or digital?

Two different tools. Clocks Central stocks analogue weather stations.

	Analogue	Digital with outdoor sensor
Power	None. Mechanical dials	Batteries or mains, plus the sensor
Shows	Pressure, temperature, humidity	Can add rainfall, wind, history and phone alerts
Setup	Hang it and set the barometer once	Pairing, sensor placement, sometimes an app
Lifespan	Nothing to charge or replace	Sensors and screens wear out
Looks	Wood, glass or steel; a piece for the wall	A screen

If you want rainfall totals, wind speed or alerts on your phone, get a digital station. An analogue one can't do that. If you want to glance at the wall and see whether the weather's turning, analogue is the better buy. More detail: Digital vs analogue weather stations.

Indoor or outdoor

Where it hangs decides what it measures.

Indoor: wood

Classic timber frames for the hallway, study or living room. MONA, STACY, ASPEN, VICTOR.

See MONA

Indoor: glass

Frosted glass and clean lines for modern homes. KARL, MARKO, FRIDA.

See KARL

Outdoor: steel

Stainless steel and aluminium for the patio, deck or shed. BRUNO, CLARKE, GIO, EGON, ARNO.

See BRUNO

An indoor station reads the room, not the weather outside. For both, choose an indoor/outdoor model such as HENRI or DEX, or hang an outdoor model somewhere sheltered.

Pick the size for your wall

Sizes are the height of the frame.

Size	For scale	Suits	Examples	From
14 to 20cm	About the height of a postcard to an A5 page	A desk, shelf, narrow wall or a gift	LOIS, SARA, Weather Ball	$96
22 to 30cm	Up to the long side of an A4 page (30cm)	Most hallways, studies and kitchens	STACY, MARIO, BRUNO	$225
34cm and over	Taller than an A4 page. NIKO (61cm) is the depth of a kitchen bench	A feature wall, entry or long hallway	ASPEN, MONA, VICTOR, NIKO	$290

Where to hang it

Where you hang it matters more than which one you buy.

At eye level

About 1.5m from the floor, so the dials are easy to read in passing. That's roughly 50cm below the top of a standard 2.04m door frame.

Away from heat and steam

Keep it clear of direct sun, heaters, air conditioners, ovens and bathrooms, which throw out the thermometer and hygrometer.

Outdoors, in the shade

A south-facing wall or a covered patio keeps the sun off it for most of the day.

Set the barometer once

On the first day, match the barometer to your local pressure from the Bureau of Meteorology. How to set a barometer.

Weather station questions, answered

What is the best weather station for a home in Australia?

For most homes, an analogue weather station with a barometer, thermometer and hygrometer. It shows the pressure trend, temperature and humidity with no batteries or app. Choose the size for your wall, and an outdoor model if it's going outside.

Do analogue weather stations need batteries?

No. The barometer, thermometer and hygrometer on an analogue weather station are mechanical, so the dials need no batteries, no power and no app.

Can a barometer predict the weather?

A barometer shows air pressure. Rising pressure usually means settled weather, and falling pressure usually means a change is coming. Watch the direction over a few hours rather than the number at a single moment.

Where should I hang a weather station?

Indoors, hang it at eye level on an inside wall, away from direct sun, heaters, air conditioners and kitchen steam. Outdoors, use an outdoor model in the shade, such as a south-facing wall or under a covered patio.

Should I get an indoor or outdoor weather station?

An indoor station measures the room it hangs in. To read the temperature and humidity outside, choose an outdoor model in stainless steel or aluminium and hang it somewhere sheltered.

Analogue or digital weather station: which is better?

Analogue if you want something that works without power and looks good on the wall. Digital if you need rainfall, wind or phone alerts. Clocks Central stocks analogue only.