Interesting Weather Facts

Did you know that snowflakes are actually ice crystals that form in clouds?

The sunniest place on Earth is Yuma, Arizona, with an average of 4015 hours of sunshine per year.

Hurricane Katrina, which hit the United States in 2005, was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded.

In Antarctica, temperatures can drop as low as -130°F (-89°C) during winter.

Lightning strikes the Earth’s surface around 8 million times a day.

The highest recorded temperature on Earth was 134°F (56.7°C) in Death Valley, California, in 19

7. Tornadoes can reach wind speeds of over 300 mph (480 km/h).

The coldest inhabited place on Earth is Oymyakon, Russia, where temperatures can drop to -58°F (-50°C).

The world’s largest hailstone, measuring 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter, fell in Vivian, South Dakota, in 20

The wettest place on Earth is Mawsynram, India, with an average annual rainfall of 467.35 inches (11,872 mm).

The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a storm that has been raging for over 300 years.

The highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth was 253 mph (408 km/h) during a cyclone in 1996.

Raindrops can fall at speeds of up to 22 mph (35 km/h).

Lightning can reach temperatures of up to 30,000°C (54,000°F), which is hotter than the surface of the sun.

The term heatwave was first used in the United States in the 1890s.

Fog is actually a cloud that touches the ground.

Thunderstorms can generate powerful bursts of gamma rays, known as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes.

The world’s largest snowflake, measuring 15 inches (38 cm) in diameter, fell in Fort Keogh, Montana, in 1887.

The first weather satellite, TIROS-1, was launched by NASA in 1960.

The ozone layer protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Antarctica is considered a desert because it receives very little precipitation.

The Gobi Desert in Asia is the coldest desert on Earth.

The Sahara Desert in Africa is the largest hot desert in the world.

The average lifespan of a cloud is only about one hour.

The world’s highest waterfall is Angel Falls in Venezuela, with a height of 3,212 feet (979 meters).

The hottest month on record globally was July 2019, with an average temperature of 1.71°F (0.95°C) above the 20th-century average.

The strongest typhoon ever recorded was Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013, with wind speeds of 195 mph (315 km/h).

Thunder is the sound caused by the rapid expansion and contraction of air surrounding a lightning bolt.

Mount Washington in New Hampshire, USA, holds the world record for the highest wind speed observed at ground level, with a gust of 231 mph (372 km/h).

The Beaufort scale is used to measure wind speed and determine its effect on the sea.

The world’s largest dust storm, known as the Black Sunday, occurred in the United States during the Dust Bowl in 19

Hailstorms can cause significant damage to crops, buildings, and vehicles.

The temperature of a lightning bolt is around 30,000 Kelvin, which is five times hotter than the surface of the sun.

Rainbows are formed by the reflection, refraction, and dispersion of sunlight in raindrops.

The outermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere, called the corona, is much hotter than the sun’s surface.

The stratosphere is the layer of the atmosphere where the ozone layer is located.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in the contiguous United States was -69.7°F (-56.5°C) in Rogers Pass, Montana, in 1954.

The wettest month on record in the United States was August 2017, with an average precipitation of 19.64 inches (49.9 cm).

The term El Niño refers to a warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, which can have significant impacts on weather patterns worldwide.

Lightning can strike the same place multiple times, as it is attracted to high points and conductive objects.

The ozone layer is thinnest over the Antarctic region, leading to the formation of the ozone hole.

Flash floods can occur suddenly and are responsible for more deaths annually than any other weather-related event.

The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the Earth’s poles.

The world’s largest temperature range in one location is in Verkhoyansk, Russia, where temperatures can vary from -92°F (-69°C) in winter to 98°F (37°C) in summer.

The phases of the moon can impact the tides, with higher tides occurring during the full and new moon phases.