When I started work at Burnhope TV station in the 1980's we did 3 hourly meto reports, and being atop a big hill had an aneometer tower next to the proper big mast. There were paper roll charts to change and moving pens to ink. We did temperature but IIRC not rain - probably too turbulent about the site. It got more automated, then the site was de-staffed and everything fell into disuse...Data gathering Flyte, Wow relies on a dedicated few - .
I suspect much Met Office weather data these days is gathered by scraping Wundergound, with enough data presumably a 'puter can correct the innacuracies.