What tool is used to measure direction at a point for wind?

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The anemometer is the correct tool used to measure wind direction at a specific location. Specifically, while anemometers can measure wind speed, certain types—such as wind vanes—are designed explicitly for determining the direction from which the wind is blowing. Wind direction is crucial for understanding weather patterns, as it influences temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions.

For context, a barometer measures atmospheric pressure, which can indicate changes in weather but does not provide information about wind direction. A weather balloon is used to collect upper-atmosphere data, such as temperature and humidity, as it ascends through the atmosphere, but it does not measure wind direction at a point. Doppler radar is utilized to observe precipitation and storm systems, analyzing the movement of particles like raindrops or snowflakes, but it also does not measure wind direction at a ground level point. Each of these tools serves its purpose, but for directly measuring wind direction, the anemometer—or specifically the wind vane component of it—is the appropriate instrument.

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