HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

This is a list of weather records, a list of the most extreme occurrences of weather phenomena for various categories. Many weather records are measured under specific conditions—such as surface temperature and wind speed—to keep consistency among measurements around the Earth. Each of these records is understood to be the record value officially observed, as these records may have been exceeded before modern weather instrumentation was invented, or in remote areas without an official
weather station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...
. This list does not include remotely sensed observations such as satellite measurements, since those values are not considered official records.


Temperature


Measuring conditions

The standard measuring conditions for temperature are in the air, to above the ground,WMO (2018): Guide to Instruments and Methods of Observation
/ref> and shielded from direct sunlight intensity (hence the term ''x'' degrees "in the shade"). The following lists include all officially confirmed claims measured by those methods. Temperatures measured directly on the ground may exceed air temperatures by . The highest natural ground surface temperature ever recorded may have been an alleged reading of at
Furnace Creek, California Furnace Creek is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States. The population was 136 at the 2020 census, up from 24 at the 2010 census. The elevation of the village is below sea level. Furnace Creek holds the reco ...
, United States, on 15 July 1972. In recent years a ground temperature of was recorded in
Port Sudan Port Sudan ( ar, بور سودان, Būr Sūdān) is a port city in eastern Sudan, and the capital of the state of Red Sea. , it has 489,725 residents. Located on the Red Sea, Port Sudan is recognized as Sudan's main seaport and the source of 9 ...
, Sudan. The theoretical maximum possible ground surface temperature has been estimated to be between for dry, darkish soils of low thermal conductivity. Satellite measurements of ground temperature taken between 2003 and 2009, taken with the
MODIS The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a satellite-based sensor used for earth and climate measurements. There are two MODIS sensors in Earth orbit: one on board the Terra ( EOS AM) satellite, launched by NASA in 19 ...
infrared spectroradiometer on the Aqua satellite, found a maximum temperature of , which was recorded in 2005 in the Lut Desert, Iran. The Lut Desert was also found to have the highest maximum temperature in five of the seven years measured (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009). These measurements reflect averages over a large region and so are lower than the maximum point surface temperature. Satellite measurements of the surface temperature of Antarctica, taken between 1982 and 2013, found a coldest temperature of on 10 August 2010, at . Although this is not comparable to an air temperature, it is believed that the air temperature at this location would have been lower than the official record lowest air temperature of .


Hottest


Highest temperatures ever recorded

According to the
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Inter ...
(WMO), the highest temperature ever recorded was on 10 July 1913 in Furnace Creek (Greenland Ranch), California, United States, but the validity of this record is challenged as possible problems with the reading have since been discovered. Christopher C. Burt, a weather historian writing for Weather Underground, believes that the 1913
Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the hottest place on Earth. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in Nort ...
reading is "a myth", and is at least too high. Burt proposes that the highest reliably recorded temperature on Earth could still be at Death Valley, but is instead recorded on 30 June 2013. This is lower than a 1931 record of recorded in Kebili, Tunisia and is matched by a 1942 record of from Tirat Zvi, Israel. 2016 and 2017 readings in
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...
and
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
have also matched the 2013 Death Valley record, while readings in 2020 and 2021 also at Furnace Creek went even higher, up to 54.4 °C (129.9 °F/130 °F), however, they have not yet been validated by WMO. The WMO has stated they stand by the 1913 record pending any future investigations. The former highest official temperature on Earth, , measured in 'Aziziya, Libya on 13 September 1922, was reassessed in July 2012 by the WMO which published a report that invalidated the record. There have been other unconfirmed reports of high temperatures, but these temperatures have never been officially validated by national weather services/WMO, and are currently considered to have been recorder's errors, thus not being recognised as world records.


=By continent

=


Africa


Antarctica


Asia


Europe


North America


Oceania


South America


Other high-temperature records

* Highest "feels like" temperature 81.1°C (178°F): In Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on 8 July 2003. * Most consecutive days above 37.8 °C (100 °F): 160 days;
Marble Bar, Western Australia Marble Bar is a town and rock formation in the Pilbara region of north-western Western Australia. Its extremely hot climate, with a mean maximum temperature second only to Wyndham, Western Australia has resulted in the town being well known for ...
from 31 October 1923 to 7 April 1924. * Most consecutive days above 48.9 °C (120 °F): 43 days; Death Valley, California from 6 July through 17 August 1917. * Highest natural ground surface temperature: , in Death Valley, California, 15 July 1972. * Highest temperature during rain: 48.3 °C (119.0 °F) in
Imperial, California Imperial is a city in Imperial County, California, north of El Centro. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 14,758. It is part of the El Centro metropolitan area. In 2016, Imperial was the fourth fastest-growing city in the st ...
, 24 July 2018 * Highest overnight low temperature: at the
Khasab Khasab ( ar, خَصَب, Ḫaṣab) is a city and local capital of the Musandam Governorate which is an exclave of Oman bordering the United Arab Emirates at the tip of the Musandam Peninsula by the Strait of Hormuz. It has been dubbed the " Norw ...
weather station (WMO Index = 41241) in Oman on 17 June 2017. * Highest minimum temperature for a 24-hour period and for a calendar day: at Qurayyat, Oman on 25 June 2018. * Highest average monthly temperature: , in Death Valley, California, for the month of July 2018. * Highest temperature north of the Arctic Circle: in
Verkhoyansk Verkhoyansk ( rus, Верхоянск, p=vʲɪrxɐˈjansk; sah, Верхоянскай, ''Verkhoyanskay'') is a town in Verkhoyansky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the Yana River in the Arctic Circle, from Batagay, the ad ...
, Russia on 20 June 2020. * Highest temperature ever recorded north of the 50th parallel north: at Lytton, British Columbia, Canada.


Humidity

* Highest dew point temperature: A
dew point The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor, assuming constant air pressure and water content. When cooled below the dew point, moisture capacity is reduced and airborne water vapor will ...
of — while the temperature was — was observed at
Dhahran Dhahran ( ar, الظهران, ''Al-Dhahran'') is a city located in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. With a total population of 240,742 as of 2021, it is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Together with the nearby citi ...
, Saudi Arabia, at 3:00 p.m. on 8 July 2003. * Highest temperature with 100% relative humidity: A temperature of with 100% relative humidity in
Jask Jask ( fa, جاسک, Balochi: جاشک also Romanized as Jāsk; also Bandar-e Jask ( fa, بَندَرِ جاسک), ( Balochi: بندن ءِ جاشک) also Romanized as Bandar-e Jāsk) is a city and capital of Jask County, Hormozgan Province, I ...
,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, on 21 July 2012.


Coldest


Lowest temperatures recorded


=By continent

=


Africa


Antarctica


Asia


Europe


North America


South America


Oceania


Other low-temperature records

* Coldest summer (month of July in the Northern Hemisphere): ; Summit Camp, Greenland on 4 July 2017. * Lowest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere: ;
Greenland Ice Sheet The Greenland ice sheet ( da, Grønlands indlandsis, kl, Sermersuaq) is a vast body of ice covering , roughly near 80% of the surface of Greenland. It is sometimes referred to as an ice cap, or under the term ''inland ice'', or its Danish equi ...
, Greenland on 22 December 1991.


Record extreme temperature differences

* Greatest 2-minute temperature increase: 27 °C (49 °F), from to ;
Spearfish, South Dakota Spearfish ( Lakota: ''Hočhápȟe'') is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota. The population was 12,193 at the time of the 2020 census. History Before the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876, the area was used by Native Americans (primarily bands ...
, on 22 January 1943. * Greatest 24-hour temperature increase: +57 °C (+102.6 °F), from to ;
Loma, Montana Loma is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chouteau County, Montana, United States. The population was 85 at the 2010 census. History James Kipp, of the American Fur Company founded the first community here in 1831. The Blackfeet laid siege to t ...
, on 15 January 1972. * Fastest temperature drop: 27.2 °C (49 °F) in 5 minutes;
Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western S ...
, 10 January 1911. * Largest temperature range ever in 1 area: 105.8 °C (190.4 °F), from on 15 January 1885, 5,7 February 1892 to on 20 June 2020; Verhoyansk, Sakha Republic, Russia


Precipitation

* Least per year (locale): per year or less, Quillagua,
Antofagasta Region The Antofagasta Region ( es, Región de Antofagasta, ) is one of Chile's sixteen first-order administrative divisions. The second-largest region of Chile in area, it comprises three provinces, Antofagasta, El Loa and Tocopilla. It is bordered t ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
.


Rain

* Most in 60 seconds (1 minute): . Barot, Sainte-Anne,
Grande-Terre Grande-Terre Island (french: île de Grande-Terre / île de la Grande-Terre; gcf, label= Antillean Creole, Gwantè) is the name of the eastern-half of Guadeloupe proper, in the Lesser Antilles. It is separated from the other half of Guadeloupe ...
,
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label= Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands— Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
11:03–11:04 am on 26 November 1970. * Most in 180 seconds (3 minutes): .
Portobelo, Colón Portobelo (Modern Spanish: "Puerto Bello" ("beautiful port"), historically in Portuguese: Porto Belo) is a historic port and corregimiento in Portobelo District, Colón Province, Panama, Central America, with a population of 4,559 . Located on ...
, Panama, 29 November 1911Ch. Péguy (1970) * Most in 300 seconds (5 minutes): .
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
, United States, 29 November 1911 * Most in 60 minutes (1 hour): . Holt, Missouri, United States, 22 June 1947. * Most in 12 hours (-day): ;
Cilaos Cilaos () is a town and commune on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It is located centrally on the island, in a caldera of altitude 1,214 m. The caldera (usually known as the 'Cirque') is also named for the community. History ...
,
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island o ...
, 8 January 1966, during Tropical Cyclone Denise. * Most in 24 hours (1 day): ;
Cilaos Cilaos () is a town and commune on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It is located centrally on the island, in a caldera of altitude 1,214 m. The caldera (usually known as the 'Cirque') is also named for the community. History ...
,
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island o ...
, 7–8 January 1966, during Tropical Cyclone Denise. * Most in 48 hours (2 days): ;
Cherrapunji Cherrapunji () or Sohra is a subdivisional town (Proposed District) East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya. It is the traditional capital of ka ''hima'' Sohra (Khasi tribal kingdom). Sohra has often been credited as being t ...
,
Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...
, India, 15–16 June 1995. * Most in 72 hours (3 days): ; Commerson,
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island o ...
, 24–26 February 2007, during
Cyclone Gamede Intense Tropical Cyclone Gamede was among the wettest tropical cyclones on record, dropping more than 5.5 m (18 ft) of rain in a nine-day period on Réunion island in the southwest Indian Ocean. The seventh named storm of the 2006–0 ...
. * Most in 96 hours (4 days): ; Commerson,
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island o ...
, 24–27 February 2007, during
Cyclone Gamede Intense Tropical Cyclone Gamede was among the wettest tropical cyclones on record, dropping more than 5.5 m (18 ft) of rain in a nine-day period on Réunion island in the southwest Indian Ocean. The seventh named storm of the 2006–0 ...
. * Most in one year: ;
Cherrapunji Cherrapunji () or Sohra is a subdivisional town (Proposed District) East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya. It is the traditional capital of ka ''hima'' Sohra (Khasi tribal kingdom). Sohra has often been credited as being t ...
,
Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...
, India, 1860–1861. * Most from a single tropical cylone: ; Commerson,
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island o ...
, during
Cyclone Hyacinthe Tropical Cyclone Hyacinthe was the wettest tropical cyclone on record worldwide. The eighth named storm of the season, Hyacinthe formed on January 15, 1980, to the northeast of Mauritius in the southern Indian Ocean. Initially it moved t ...
in January 1980. * Highest average annual total (observed over 10 years): (over 38 years) and (1998–2010);
Mawsynram Mawsynram () is a town in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya state in Northeastern India, 69 kilometres from Shillong, the state capital. Mawsynram receives the highest rainfall in India. It is reportedly the wettest place on Earth, wi ...
,
Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...
, India or (1980–2011); López de Micay, Cauca,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...
. * Most consecutive days with measurable rain a day with at least of rainfall: 331 days in
Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, 1939-1940


Snow

*Most in a 24-hour period: of snow on
Mount Ibuki is a mountain, on the border of Maibara, Shiga Prefecture, and Ibigawa, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, and is also included on the lists of the 100 Kinki Mountains and the 50 Shiga Mountains. Mount ...
, Japan on 14 February 1927. *Most in one calendar month: 9.91 meters (390 inches) of snow fell in
Tamarack, California Tamarack, formerly known as Camp Tamarack, is an unincorporated community in Calaveras County, California in the United States. It was founded in the 1920s. A nearby weather station, located across the Alpine County line, has been the site of se ...
in January 1911, leading to a snow depth in March of 11.46 meters (451 inches) (greatest measured in North America). *Most in one season (1 July – 30 June): 29.0 meters, (95 ft);
Mount Baker Mount Baker ( Lummi: '; nok, Kw’eq Smaenit or '), also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is a active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington in the United States. ...
,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, United States, 1998 through 1999. * Most in one-year period: 31.5 meters (102 ft);
Mount Rainier Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a ...
,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, United States, 19 February 1971 to 18 February 1972. *Deepest snowfall recorded: 11.82 meters (38.8 ft) on
Mount Ibuki is a mountain, on the border of Maibara, Shiga Prefecture, and Ibigawa, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, and is also included on the lists of the 100 Kinki Mountains and the 50 Shiga Mountains. Mount ...
, Japan on 14 February 1927. * Lowest latitude that snow has been recorded at sea level in North America: Snow fell as far south as the city of
Tampico Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
in February 1895 during the
Great Freeze The Great Freeze is the back-to-back freezes of 1894–1895 in Northern Florida, where the brutally cold weather destroyed much of the citrus crop. Entire communities, such as Earnestville, faded after the citrus crops and trees were lost to th ...
.


Wind speeds

* Fastest ever recorded: 484 ±32 km/h (301 ±20 mph) (3-second gust); observed by a DOW ( Doppler On Wheels) radar unit in the
1999 Bridge Creek – Moore tornado File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shooti ...
between
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
and
Moore Moore may refer to: People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior officer in the British Army * Moore Powell (died c. 1 ...
,
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
, USA, 3 May 1999. * Fastest non- tornadic winds: (3-second gust); recorded by
anemometer In meteorology, an anemometer () is a device that measures wind speed and direction. It is a common instrument used in weather stations. The earliest known description of an anemometer was by Italian architect and author Leon Battista Alberti ...
in Severe Tropical Cyclone Olivia passing over Barrow Island,
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...
, 10 April 1996. * Fastest non- cyclonic winds: 372 km/h (231 mph) (1-minute average); recorded by anemometer on
Mount Washington Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. The mountain is notorious for its erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934 ...
,
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, USA, 12 April 1934. * Fastest daily average: 174 km/h (108 mph);
Port Martin Port Martin, or Port-Martin, is an abandoned French research base at Cape Margerie on the coast of Adélie Land, Antarctica, as well as the name of the adjacent anchorage. History The site was discovered in 1950 by the French Antarctic Expeditio ...
(
Adélie Land Adélie Land (french: Terre Adélie, ) is a claimed territory on the continent of Antarctica. It stretches from a portion of the Southern Ocean coastline all the way inland to the South Pole. France has administered it as one of five districts ...
), Antarctica, 24-hour period from 21 March 1951 to 22 March 1951.


Tornadoes


Deadliest in history

* On Earth: Approximately 1,300 deaths (
Daulatpur–Saturia tornado The Daulatpur–Saturia tornado occurred in Manikganj District, Bangladesh on April 26, 1989. It was the deadliest tornado in Bangladesh's history. There is great uncertainty about the death toll, but estimates indicate that it was devastating ...
); Manikganj District, Bangladesh on 26 April 1989. * In North America: 695 deaths (
Tri-State Tornado On March 18, 1925, one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in recorded history generated at least twelve significant tornadoes and spanned a large portion of the midwestern and southern United States. In all, at least 751 people were kil ...
);
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
, United States, 18 March 1925. * In Europe: 600 or more deaths ( Grand Harbour Tornado);
Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 ...
, Malta, 23 September 1551 or 1556 (sources conflict). * In South America: 63 deaths, San Justo, Santa Fe, Argentina, 10 January 1973. * In Australia: Three deaths, Kin Kin,
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
tornado, 14 August 1971.


Outbreaks

* Largest and most severe: The
2011 Super Outbreak The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest, costliest, and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks ever recorded, taking place in the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States from April 25–28, 2011, leaving catastrophic destruction ...
: 207 confirmed tornadoes occurred in a span of 24 hours, with a total of 337 occurring throughout the duration of the outbreak. They affected six US states, and included 11 rated
EF4 The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated as EF-Scale) rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage they cause. It is used in some countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Mongolia. The Enhanced Fujita scale repla ...
and 4 rated EF5.


Tropical cyclones


Most intense (by minimum surface air pressure)

* Most intense ever recorded: 870 hPa (25.69 
inHg Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States. It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in hei ...
); eye of Super Typhoon Tip over the northwest Pacific Ocean, 12 October 1979. * Most intense in the
Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the te ...
: 872 hPa (25.75 inHg); eye of
Hurricane Patricia Hurricane Patricia was the strongest tropical cyclone on record worldwide in terms of wind speed and the second-most intense on record worldwide in terms of pressure, behind Typhoon Tip in 1979, with a minimum atmospheric pressure of 872 mbar ( ...
over the eastern Pacific Ocean, 23 October 2015. * Most intense ever recorded on land: 892 hPa (26.35 inHg); Craig Key,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
, United States, eye of the
Labor Day Hurricane The Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was the most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall on record by pressure, with winds of up to 185 mph (297 km/h). The fourth tropical cyclone, third tropical storm, second hurricane, and sec ...
, 2 September 1935. While other landfalling tropical cyclones potentially had lower pressures, data is vague from areas other than the
Atlantic basin The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
, especially before the invention of
weather satellite A weather satellite or meteorological satellite is a type of Earth observation satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. Satellites can be polar orbiting (covering the entire Earth asynchronously), or ...
s. * Most intense landfall (estimated): 884 hPa (26.10 inHg);
Rakiraki District Rakiraki () is a district in Fiji's Ra Province. It is located between Tavua and Korovou when travelling along the Kings Road, on the northern coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. At the 1996 census, the Rakiraki district had a population ...
,
Viti Levu Viti Levu (pronounced ) is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It is the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population. Geology Fiji lies in a tectonically complex area between the Australian ...
,
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consis ...
, during
Cyclone Winston Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston was the most intense tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere on record, as well as the strongest to make landfall on record, and the most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2016. Winston is also the costl ...
, 20 February 2016. Although no official land pressure readings were recorded at the
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
site, it is estimated the Winston made landfall with the aforementioned pressure.


Most precipitation

* Most precipitation from a single tropical storm: ; Commerson, Réunion, during
Cyclone Hyacinthe Tropical Cyclone Hyacinthe was the wettest tropical cyclone on record worldwide. The eighth named storm of the season, Hyacinthe formed on January 15, 1980, to the northeast of Mauritius in the southern Indian Ocean. Initially it moved t ...
in January 1980.


Other severe weather


Hail

* Heaviest officially recorded: ; Gopalganj District, Bangladesh, 14 April 1986. * Largest diameter officially measured:
diameter In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest chord of the circle. Both definitions are also valid f ...
,
circumference In geometry, the circumference (from Latin ''circumferens'', meaning "carrying around") is the perimeter of a circle or ellipse. That is, the circumference would be the arc length of the circle, as if it were opened up and straightened out ...
;
Vivian, South Dakota Vivian is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lyman County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 98 at the 2020 census. History The community is named after Vivian Hunter, the wife of a railroad official. ...
, 23 July 2010. * Largest circumference officially measured: circumference, diameter;
Aurora, Nebraska Aurora is a city in Hamilton County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,479 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Hamilton County. History In 1861, David Millspaw became the first permanent settler in the area of what was to ...
, 22 June 2003.


Lightning

* Longest lightning bolt: on 29 April 2020 in the southern
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. * Longest duration for a single lightning flash: 17.1 seconds on 18 June 2020 in
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
and northern
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
.


Ultraviolet index

* Highest ultraviolet index measured: On 29 December 2003, a
UV index The ultraviolet index, or UV index, is an international standard measurement of the strength of the sunburn-producing ultraviolet (UV) radiation at a particular place and time. It is primarily used in daily and hourly forecasts aimed at the general ...
of 43.3 was detected at Chile/Bolivia's
Licancabur Licancabur () is a stratovolcano on the border between Bolivia and Chile, south of the Sairecabur volcano and west of Juriques. Part of the Andean Central Volcanic Zone, it has a prominent, -high cone. A summit crater containing Licancabur L ...
volcano, at altitude. A light-skinned individual in such conditions may experience moderate
sunburn Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and animals include: red or reddish skin that is h ...
in as little as 4 minutes.


Other categories

* Highest air pressure ever recorded bove 750 meters (2,461 feet)'': 1,084.8 hPa (32.03 inHg); Tosontsengel, Zavkhan, 19 December 2001. This is the equivalent sea-level pressure; Tosontsengel is located at above sea level. The highest adjusted-to-sea-level barometric pressure ever recorded (below 750 meters) was at Agata, Evenhiyskiy, Russia (66°53'N, 93°28'E, elevation: 261 m (856.3 ft)) on 31 December 1968 of 1,083.3 hectopascals (hPa) (31.99 inHg). The discrimination is due to the problematic assumptions (assuming a standard
lapse rate The lapse rate is the rate at which an atmospheric variable, normally temperature in Earth's atmosphere, falls with altitude. ''Lapse rate'' arises from the word ''lapse'', in the sense of a gradual fall. In dry air, the adiabatic lapse rate is ...
) associated with reduction of sea level from high elevations.


See also

* Weather of 2013 * Extremes on Earth *
List of countries and territories by extreme temperatures This is a list of countries by lowest and highest temperature ever recorded. * indicates "Climate of COUNTRY or TERRITORY" links. } in Villa de María, Córdoba Province, Argentina, on 2 January 1920, is disputed and considered dubious , , - , ...
* List of extreme temperatures in Canada *
List of snowiest places in the United States by state The list of snowiest places in the United States by state shows average annual snowfall totals for the period from mid-1985 to mid-2015. Only places in the official climate database of the National Weather Service, a service of NOAA, are included i ...
* U.S. state and territory temperature extremes *
United Kingdom weather records The United Kingdom weather records show the most extreme weather ever recorded in the United Kingdom, such as temperature, wind speed, and rainfall records. Reliable temperature records for the whole of the United Kingdom go back to about 1880. ...
*
Weather extremes in Canada This table shows record weather extremes in Canada. {, class="wikitable" , - ! Record !! Extreme !! Location !! Date , - , Highest Temperature , , {{convert, {{convert, 49.6, °C, °F, abbr=on , , Lytton, British Columbia , , June 29, 2021 , ...
*
Climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...


Notes


References


External links


National Climate Extremes Committee

Global Weather & Climate Extremes
(Arizona State University)
Weather and Climate Extremes from US Army Corps of Engineers
{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Weather Records *