On the highest roof of a small meteorological station, which rose on a hill above a quiet valley, lived three inseparable friends. But they were not ordinary friends. They were instruments that had a very important job.
The first was Thermometer, slender and elegant, with a red line that constantly danced up and down. The second was Windy, a cheerful weather vane with a propeller that spun madly whenever even the slightest breeze blew. And the third was Pressure, a thoughtful and wise barometer, whose needle moved slowly and deliberately.
Most of the time they had work up to their ears. Thermometer announced whether the day was hot or cold. Windy laughed into the wind and measured its strength. Pressure quietly monitored air pressure, which no one could see, but was very important.
One day, however, something strange happened. Actually, nothing happened at all. The sun shone brightly and warmly, but the sky was without a single cloud. Not even the slightest breeze was blowing.
"Oh, this is boring!" sighed Windy, and his propeller hung sadly downward. "Not even a leaf on the tree is moving. I feel completely useless."
"Don't even say it," added Thermometer. "My red line has been standing in one place since morning. Not a bit up, not a bit down. As if time had stopped."
Only Pressure remained silent. His round face was calm and concentrated, as if he was thinking deeply about something.
"And what about you, Pressure? Are you bored too?" asked Windy impatiently.
Pressure slowly shook his head. "Friends, silence sometimes says more than the greatest noise," he said mysteriously. "Look more carefully."
Thermometer and Windy exchanged confused glances. What were they supposed to see? Everywhere there was only peace and unusual silence.
"My needle moved," continued Pressure quietly. "Only by a hair, almost invisibly, but it dropped. And that's not just nothing."
Windy laughed. "Only by a hair? That doesn't mean anything! The sun is shining, the birds are singing. It will be another peaceful day."
"Maybe yes, maybe no," replied Pressure. "Each of us sees only a small piece of the puzzle. What if we try to put our observations together? Thermometer, what exactly do you see?"
"Well, I see that it's warm. Still equally warm," replied Thermometer somewhat sullenly. But then he thought about it. "But it's a strange warmth. The air is somehow heavy and sticky. Muggy, exactly. As if you couldn't breathe properly."
"Excellent!" rejoiced Pressure. "And you, Windy? What do you feel when there's complete stillness?"
Windy thought about it. "I don't feel wind, that's true. But when I listen carefully... I feel a strange trembling. As if the whole air is preparing for something. And look! The birds aren't flying high in the sky, but staying low near the ground."
Pressure nodded with satisfaction. "There we have it!"
"Have what?" asked both friends at once.
"The solution to our mystery, of course," smiled Pressure. "Let's try to connect it. I know that air pressure is dropping. That means lighter and more humid air is approaching us. You, Thermometer, feel that it's warm, but also muggy. That's because of the humidity in the air. And you, Windy, noticed that there's suspicious silence and that the animals are behaving differently. Whenever these three things meet – dropping pressure, great mugginess, and sudden silence – it means only one thing."
Thermometer and Windy listened tensely.
"It means a big storm is approaching!" declared Pressure.
At that moment his friends realized everything. Their seemingly boring and meaningless information was suddenly extremely important. They weren't here just to measure what the weather is now. They were here to predict together what the weather will be later!
"We must warn the town in the valley!" cried Windy, and his propeller trembled with excitement.
Working together, they activated a small red light on the station roof. It was a signal for the meteorologist who worked inside. He immediately knew something was brewing. He came out, looked at the instruments, at the sky, and nodded in agreement. Thanks to the warning, the people in the valley managed to close their windows, bring in their laundry, and take home the animals that were grazing in the meadows.
It didn't take long for Pressure's prediction to come true. The sky darkened, a strong wind picked up, and heavy rain began to fall.
But on the roof of the meteorological station, there was no more boredom. Windy spun in the wind like the happiest dancer in the world. Thermometer's red line quickly dropped as the air cooled. And Pressure's needle moved further and further with each minute.
They worked as one team. And they knew their work had enormous meaning.
And so the three friends learned that even the most peaceful day can hide a great adventure. You just need to look carefully, listen, and join forces with friends.
And what do you think, could you too, together with your friends, figure out whether it will rain tomorrow or if the sun will shine?