A pyranometer is an instrument used to measure broadband solar irradiance on a planar surface. In other words: a pyranometer is a sensor that is designed to measure the solar radiation flux density (in watts per metre square) from a field of view of 180 degrees. Pyranometers and Climate Data Loggers (CDL) equipped with pyranometers are used by observation stations worldwide before data is used by the Met Office and later accumulated in the MIDAS dataset.

Linked documentation:
The Met Office Fact-sheet #17 – Weather Observations on Land (see linked documentation) describes the instrumentation further and includes diagrams of the apparatus set-up. For more information on which instruments are used to collect measurements within specific station networks, the Met Office Surface Data Users Guide, describes the meteorological surface data and how it is obtained in the Met Office Database - MIDAS.