NAME OF CANDIDATE:
Titus Banda
EXAMINATION NUMBER:
1740150005
SCHOOL/CENTRE:
ANOYA ZULU BOYS SECONDARY SCHOOL
CENTRE NUMBER:
4015
SUBJECT:
GEOGRAPHY
TOPIC:
Weather and Climate
TITLE:
A case study of Msekera weather station in Chipata
YEAR:
2020
TEACHER:
Mr. S.K. Tembo
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Field projects in geography is work done in the field and it is one of the few component sof geography
that brings reality to the subject.
This field work would not have been made possible if were not for the help and tireless work provided
by the teachers from the Social Science Department. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to
the following teachers who played an active and very important role in making this possible; MR S.K
TEMBO, MR Chikale, MR C.E Phiri, MS Zulu (H.O.D) and many more to mention but a few.
I would also like to thank MR Njobvu together with Agromet institution for granting us the opportunity
of carrying out our field work from there.
Furthermore, I would like to thank the school (Anoya Zulu) for providing the necessities for carrying out
this field work and the government for embedding field work projects in the geography syllabus.
CONTENT
CHAPTER1

GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.3 PROBLEM DEFINITION
1.4 AIM
1.5 OBJECTS
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
CHAPTER2
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METHODOLOGY
2.1 PRIMARY SOURCE
2.2 SECONDARY SOURCE
2.3 LOCATION OF STUDY AREA
CHAPTER 3
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DATA PRESENTATION
3.1 WEATHER ELEMENTS AND INSTRUMENTS USED TO MEASUER THEM
3.2 WEATHER ELEMENTS AND THEIR UNITS OF MEASURE
3.3 PIE CHART SHOWING CHALLENGES MSEKERA WEATHER STATION FACES
3.4 DIAGRAM SHOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF WEATHER STUDIES TO SOCIO-ECCONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTRY
3.5 PICTURES OF WEATHER INSTRUMENTS
CHAPTER 4

DATA INTERPRETATION/ ANALYSIS
4.1 HOW DIFFERENT WEATHER ELEMENTS ARE MEASUERD, INTERPRETED AND RECORDED
4.2CHALLENGES FACED WHEN RECORDING WEATHER ELEMENTS AT MSEKERS WEATHER STATATION
4.3THE IMPORTANCE OF RECORDING WEATHER ELEMENTS TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF
THE COUNTRY
4.4 PROBLEMS AND LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH
CHAPTER 5
5.1CONCLUSIONS AND EVALUATIONS
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
5.3FREFERENCES
5.4 APPENDIX
CHAPTER 1

GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1BACKGROUND
Msekera weather station was opened in the 1990s by U.N.I.P Central Committee. One of the key people
who were involved in setting up this station was honorable Love Mulimba. Msekera was chosen to be
the site of this stations’ set up in order for it to supply weather information to the farmers surrounding
the area. The weather information was meant to aid farmers in their farming activities. It was also
opened to provide Chipatas’ weather information to the weather station headquarters in Lusaka so the
information could help in the country’s weather forecast
1.2PROBLEM STATEMENT
Msekera weather station is one of the dependable weather station in Zambia. It provides information on
weather and climate which plays a very important role in different socio-economic aspects of the lives of
people, mainly the agricultural sector. However, many farmers and ordinary people in Msekera do not
have adequate knowledge on how weather elements are measured, interpreted and recorded. They
also lack enough information on how weather greatly affect the socio-economic development of the
country. Therefore, there is need to address and solve this problem.
1.3PROBLEM DEFINITION
This study will explore
 How weather elements are measured, interpreted and recorded
 The problems faced when recording weather elements and how they handled at Msekera
weather station.
 The importance of the study of weather to socio-economic development of the country
1.4AIM
 To find out how weather elements are measured, interpreted, recorded and to evaluate the
importance of the study of weather to the socio-economic development of the country.
1.5 OBJECTIVES
 To find out how different weather elements are measured, interpreted and recorded
 To find the problems faced when recording weather elements at Msekera weather station
 To evaluate the importance of the study of weather to the socio-economic development of the
country
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. How are the different weather elements measured, interpreted and recorded?
2. What are the problems faced when recording weather elements at Msekera weather station ?
3. What is the importance of recording weather elements to the socio-economic development of
the country?
CHAPTER 2

METHODOLOGY
2.1 PRIMARY SOURCE
In our study of weather and climate in the field we were divided into groups of 7
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A camera was used to capture pictures of the site and instruments used to measure weather
A recorder was used to capture sound data during interviews
A note book was used to jot down important points or information acquired from the research
Interview guide was used to acquire information through the research questions
Observation skills were used to see how the weather instruments were being used
2.2SECONDARY SOURCE
After the raw data was acquired from the field, Geography books, articles and the internet was used to
acquire secondary information which was meant to shed more light on raw data acquired from the field.
 High school geography was used to acquire information on weather elements and how they are
measured
 Wikipedia was used to acquire information on how some weather instruments are used to
measure weather elements.
2.1.3 LOCATION OF STUDY AREA
CHAPTER 3

DATA PRESENTATION
3.1 WEATHER ELEMENTS AND INSTRUMENTS USED TO MEASUER THEM
WEATHER ELEMENTS
INSTRUMENTS
Anemometer
Wind vane
Standard Rain
guage
Evaporation pan
Soil Thermometer
Maximum and
minimum
Dry and Wet bulb
Morden
barometer
Sunshine
Recorder
Observation
Rainfall
Wind
speed
Wind
Direction
Soil
Temperature
Humidity
Temperature
Air
pressure
Sunshine
Cloud
cover
Evaporation
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Key
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FIGURE 1
3.2 WEATHER ELEMENTS AND THEIR UNITS OF MEASURE
RAINFALL
MILLIMETERS
WIND SPEED
KNOTES
WIND DIRECTION
CARDINAL POINTS
SOIL TEMPERATURE
DEGREES CENTIGRADES
HUMIDITY
GRAMS PER CUBIC METERS
TEMPERATURE
DEGREES
AIRE PRESSURE
HECTO PASCAL
SUNSHINE
HOURS
CLOUD COVER
OKTAS/EIGHTS
EVAPORATION
MILLIMETERS
FIGURE 2
3.3 PIE CHART SHOWING CHALLENGES MSEKERA WEATHER STATION FACES
WEATHER
ELEMENTS
ARE OLD
WORN
OUT(EVAPORA
TION PAN)
INSTITUTION
LACKS
FUNDING
FROM THE
GOVERMENT
WEATHER
INSTRUMENTS ARE
USUALLY
VANDALISED AND
STOLEN
FIGURE 3
3.4 DIAGRAM SHOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF WEATHER STUDIES TO SOCIO-ECCONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTRY
HELPS PROTECT PEOPLES
WELL BEING
WEATHER
STUDIES
INFLUENCES
AGRICULTURAL
ACTIVITIES
FIGURE 4
INFLUENCES
INFRASTRACTURE
DEVELOPMENT
(roads and
buildings)
3.5 PICTURES OF WEATHER INSTRUMENTS
FIGURE 5: ANEMOMETER
FIGURE 6: EVAPORATION PAN
FIGURE 7: STENSON SCREEN
FIGUER 8: DELTA T LOGGA
FIGURE 9: RAIN GUAGE
FIGURE 10: SUNSHINE RECORDER
FIGURE: 11 DIGITAL BAROMETER
FIGURE: 12 SOIL THERMOMETERS
FIGURE: 13 WIND VANE
FIGURE: 14 NO CLOUDS
FIGURE: 15 HIGHER CLOUDS
FIGURE: 15 MIDIUM CLOUDS
FIGURE: 16 LOWER CLOUDS
TRENDS OF RAIN FOR MSEKERA FROM 2010
TO DATE
DECEMBER
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
FIGURE: 17 TRENDS OF RAIFALL FOR MSEKERA FROM 2010 TO 2020
2018
2019
2020

CHAPTER 4
DATA INTERPRETATION/ANALYSIS
4.1 HOW DIFFERENT WEATHER ELEMENTS ARE MEASUERD, INTERPRETED AND RECORDED
WIND SPEED
Wind speed is air in motion. It has both speed and direction. The instrument used to measure
air pressure according to figure 1 is the anemometer. The anemometer according to figure 5
consists of three or four semi-circular cups attached to ends of the horizontal spokes mounted
on a high vertical spindle. The cups do rotate when there is wind and the movement operates a
meter which records the speed of the wind in kilometer per hour. Wind speed according to
figure 2 is measured in knots and it’s reading are taken from the meter box on the anemometer
and it is supposed to be recorded every after 60 minutes.
WIND DIRECTION
The instrument used to measure wind direction as shown in figure 1 is the Wind vane or a
weather cork. As wind is always deflected by trees and buildings, wind vanes are usually placed
in an exposed position to get the true direction. According to figure 13 the wind vane is made
up of two parts, one part is free to move with the prevailing winds. And the other part which
has four compasses stationary and shows in which direction the wind is blowing
Wind direction is measured using Cardinal points according to figure 2. This means that it is
measured from where the wind is blowing e.g. westerly winds are blowing from west to east.
Wind direction records are taken from the information found on the Asmoth
The units on the asmoth are in degrees and they are interpreted in the following ways;
 0° is equivalent to the true north
 90° is equivalent to the true east
 180° is equivalent to the true south
 270° is equivalent to the true west
RAINFALL
Rainfall is a phenomenon caused by the effect of solar radiation (energy from the sun)
The instrument used to measure rainfall according to figure 1 is a rain gauge and it is measured
in units known as millimeters.
According to figure 9 a standard rain gauge consists of the following parts.
I.
A metal or plastic container
II.
A funnel
III.
A graduated jar or measuring cylinder
When measuring rainfall, the rain gauge is placed one foot above the ground to avoid or
prevent rain water from splashing into the funnel from the ground. The instrument is also
placed in an open space to prevent tall buildings, high trees and other objects from sheltering it.
Rain falling in the funnel falls into the jar or measuring cylinder below. The measurements are
taken every 24 hours and the reading obtained is the depth of rain that has fallen over the area.
Record of the amount of rainfall is taken from the measuring cylinder and it is measured in mm.
According to figure 17 rainfall trends show that the amount of rainfall have been gradually been
improving thus improving the agricultural activities which relay on rainfall. E.g. farming
EVAPORATION
During evaporation solar energy causes water to be transformed into a gas or vapour
Evaporation according to figure 1 is measured using an instrument known as the evaporation
pan. As shown in figure 6 an evaporation pan consists of the following parts
I.
Micro hook gauge (also known as evaporation micrometer)
II.
Wire mesh
III.
Basin
Evaporation using an evaporation pan is measured every 24 hours. The basin of the evaporation pan is
usually filled up to about 5cm cubic of water. Daily the result of evaporation is measured within the
basin by means of a high quality evaporation micrometer with a measuring range of 00 mm and an
accuracy of 0.2 mm. this accuracy can be obtained because the basin prevents rippling of the water
surface and the measurements are obtained from the micrometer hook gauge. The evaporation pan is
also usually enclosed with a wire mesh to prevent animals from drinking from it.
SOIL TEMPERATURE
Soil temperature is simply the measurement of the warmth in the soil. Ideal soil temperature for
planting most plants are 18°c to 24°c
According to figure 1 the instruments used to measure soil temperature are soil thermometers
As shown in figure 11, soil thermometers are of five different types and each type measures soil
temperature at a particular depth in the ground. The following is a list of soil thermometers and the
depth at which they measure temperature;
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
First thermometer: 5cm deep in the ground
Second thermometer: 10cm deep in the ground
Third thermometer: 20cm deep in the ground
Fourth thermometer: 30cm deep in the ground
Fifth thermometer: 100cm deep in the ground
The first three thermometers are used to measure temperature of the soil for plants with shallow roots
e.g maize groundnuts and soya beans. The last two thermometers are used to measure temperature of
the soil for plants with tap roots e,g cotton and cassava. The thermometers used contain mercury and
wax which will prevent the reading of the environmental temperature from being taken when recording
soil temperature. Soil temperature is measured in degrees centigrade
THERMOMETERS
Temperature is the degree of coldness or hotness of a particular area. Temperature is measured using
the maximum and minimum thermometers as shown in figure 1. They are usually kept in a Stevenson
screen as shown in figure 7. The maximum and minimum thermometers are used to measure maximum
and minimum temperature.
 To measure maximum temperature
Mercury in the glass tube expands when the temperature rises. This pushes the index and the end of the
index nearest to the mercury gives the reading of the reading of the maximum temperature. To reset
the index for the next day’s reading shake it or draw it back by a magnet.
 To measure minimum temperature
The measure of this temperature uses a thermometer which automatically registers the lowest
temperature attained in an interval of time. The alcohol in the glass minimum thermometer
contains a dump bell shaped index that is kept on the bulb side of the meniscus by surface
tension. The thermometer is installed in a horizontal mounting so that as the temperature falls
the index is pulled towards the bulb and remains at the minimum point as the temperature
rises.
HUMIDITY
Humidity is the measure of the dampness of the atmosphere which varies greatly from place to
place at different times of the day.
Humidity is measured using an instrument known as the hygrometer as shown in figure 1.
According to figure 7 the hygrometer comprises of the wet bulb thermometer and dry bulb
thermometer. The wet bulb thermometer has a muslin cloth at one end which is connected to a
wick. The wick which keeps this thermometer wet is dipped into a reservoir of distilled water
When air is not saturated, water will evaporate from the container and the muslin
SUNSHINE
The amount of sunshine a place receives depends on the seasons a factor which is determined
by the position of the earth in its revolution around the sun.
According to figure 1 an instrument used to measure sunshine is called the sunshine recorder or
camp bell stock. The sunshine recorder is composed of the following parts as shown in figure
10;
i.
Glass sphere
ii.
Metal frame
iii.
A card
When recording sunshine, a card is placed under the glass sphere so that the sun’s rays are
concentrated on it. The card is placed at different position under the sphere depending on the season.
Light intensity is higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Normally, there are different cards used
for the summer winter and times near the equinoxes. The cards used are treated so that they scorch
instead of burning when recording sunshine. Sunshine is measured in hours as shown in figure 2.
CLOUD COVER
cloud cover is the amount of clouds present in the atmosphere. Cloud cover intel’s a lot about the sky’s
condition and the weather that is likely to be experienced. The units used to measure cloud cover are
oktas or eights as shown in figure 2.
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How to measure cloud amounts?
In meteorology, cloud cover is measured in oktas, or eighths of the sky.
If you look up at the sky, and mentally divide it into eight boxes, then imagine all the cloud you can see
squashed into these boxes. How many boxes does the cloud fill? This is how many oktas of cloud there
are.
According to figure 14-16;
I.
0 oktas represents the complete absence of clouds
II.
1 okta represents a cloud amount of 1 eighth or less, but not zero
III.
7 oktas represents a cloud amount of 7 eighths or more, but not full cloud cover
IV.
8 oktas represents full cloud cover with no breaks
4.1.2 CHALLENGES FACED WHEN RECORDING WEATHER ELEMENTS AT MSEKERA WEATHER STATION
 Some weather instruments are old and worn out which affects the effectiveness of recording
weather elements. Such old instruments include the evaporation pan and the camp bell stock
 Msekera weather station is not funded by the government despite being a government owned
institution. This forces workers to use their own money to carry out certain tasks.
 Weather instruments at Msekera weather station are stored in an open area which has poor
security. This has made a lot of stray people to vandalize and some to even steal these weather
instruments. This has increased the cost of buying new instruments to replace the stolen ones.
4.1.3 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY OF WEATHER TO SOCIO-ECOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE
COUNTRY
 It influences infrastructural development in some areas of the country, that is buildings are built
free from damage which can come as a result of flooding. The government is also usually
advised to build roads off rainy seasons so that they do not get washed away by rains.
 It influences agricultural activities since farmers are usually advised to plant certain type of crops
in particular seasons. They are also advised the type of soil they are to plant their crops.
 It also informs the public on climatic variation which affects their social well-being and safety.
E.g. during the 2019 hot summer weather in October, people were advised to avoid spending
too much time in the sun since the heat had adverse and bad effects on their health.
4.4 PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS
 Delays made the field work to be prolonged and this gravely affected our enthusiasm for the
field work. However, we took advantage of the delays and prepared even more research
questions for the field work
 The interviewee lacked enough information about the subject matter and this affected the raw
data which was required to help make a draft of the field project report. In solving the problem,
we acquired useful and additional weather information from the internet, news articles and
some geography books
 Hunger made it very hard for us to concentrate to the interviewees explanations on weather
elements.
CHAPTER 5
5.1 CONCLUSIONS AND EVALUATIONS
Msekera weather station is a legitimate institution whose opening and set up has been beneficial to a
lot of farmers in Msekera and the whole country at large. The study of weather has greatly influenced
infrastructural and agricultural development. The predictions of weather have been quite accurate and
effective lately at Msekera weather station and this is seen through the predictions about flooding in the
country, specifically those in Mfuwe. These predictions made by the weather stations have always
influenced the government’s decisions. However, despite many methods of recording weather being
effective at Msekera weather station some of them are quite ineffective and these methods include the
measuring of wind direction, sunshine and evaporation. The effectiveness of measuring these weather
elements is as a result of the old and worn out weather instruments available at Msekera weather
station. The asmoth on the wind vane is not perfectly graduated, the sunshine recorder lacks a card
which is supposed to be used for measuring the amount of sunshine and the evaporation basin is old,
worn out and has an outdated micro hook gauge. This has made Msekera’s weather recording
endevours to be difficult. However, according to figure 8 delta T device, which is a multipurpose
weather recording instrument can help solve these problems and make their predictions more effective.
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
 Considering the fact that weather studies play an important role in social safety and
development of the country then Msekera weather station needs to be maintained and funded
by the government.
 Msekera weather station also has poor security over its instruments and this has attracted theft
and vandalism. Therefore, Msekera weather station should perhaps consider building a wall
fence around their weather instruments to ensure their safety.
 To ensure effectiveness in recording weather elements, some weather instruments which are
old need to be replaced with new ones these include, the evaporation pan, sunshine recorder
and wind vane
5.2 REFERENCES
 Goh Cheng Leong, (1983), Certificate Physical and Human Geography, London, New Oxford
University Press.
 Nikki Tilley, (2018), Soil Temperature, Gardening know-how.com
 The Royal Metrological Society & Met office, how to measure cloud amounts, future learn.com
 L.S. Ntalasha, (2004), High School Geography, Ndola, Times Printpak (Z) Limited
 Hastings, (2010), How to Measure Evaporation, Wikipedia.org
5.4 APPENDIX
1. When was the weather station opened?
2. Who opened Msekera weather station?
3. Why was the weather station opened?
4. Why was Msekera chosen to be the site for the set-up of the weather station?
5. How are the weather instruments stored at Msekera weather station?
6. How are the different elements of weather measured, interpreted and recorded?
7. How have been the trends of rainfall from 2010 to date in Zambia?
8. What is the importance of measuring, recording and interpreting weather to the socio-economic
development of the country?
9. What are the problems faced when recording weather?
10. What has the government as well as your institution done in order to fix this problem?