Weather conditions around the world stay mostly the same but may occur differently due to changes in timing and location. There are, however, some weather conditions in some parts of the world that tilts toward the extremes. From the dustiest and wettest to the coldest and hottest temperatures, these weather conditions are so extreme that even the slightest exposure to their effects would cause serious health complications.
Travelers, tourists, and even military officers who have dealings or seek an exploration in or close to these places should have a good knowledge of what they are getting into and also be aware of basic survival skills in order to stay alive in such extreme weather conditions.
8 Oymyakon, Russia: The Coldest Inhabited Place On Earth
The average temperature of a refrigerator is 40C or 39.20F and -180C or 00F for a freezer. Meanwhile, the average temperature of Oymyakon, Russia in winter is usually at -500C or -580F. On some rare occasions such as in 1931, temperatures can fall as low as -550C or -650F and in such cases, schools are closed and people hide from the freezing torment.
Oymyakon, Russia is a frozen landscape where the 300 - 900 people who have been lucky - or unlucky - enough to call the place “home” need to stack up layers of clothing, put on thick caps and gloves, and wear thick leather boots in order to stay warm in the open.
7 Death Valley, California, USA: The Hottest Inhabited Place on Earth
There are many hot regions in the world but none persist or get as extreme as the Californian Death Valley where the open space feels like an oven.
The current highest temperature ever recorded on earth is 56.70C (1340F) and the recording was taken in Death Valley in 1913. Due to the extremity of this reading (and perhaps the period of its recording), many experts have been said to wave it off as inaccurate. To prove its accuracy; however, the Death Valley recorded a sensational 54.40C (1300F) on July 9, 2021, almost as close as its former record high which has not yet been toppled. Seeing this potential, there is no telling how close Death Valley is to matching or even toppling its previous highest world record.
On average, the temperature recorded during the day in Death Valley is usually 380C (1000F) in summer and 18.40C (65.10F) in winter.
Over 300 people live in Death Valley and surprisingly, a park known as Death Valley National Park is also located in this place.
6 Mawsynram, India: The Wettest Inhabited Place In The World
The amount of rainfall and other types of precipitation in a place is often measured by the total millimeters (mm) or inches (In) received in that place in a given year.
In the US, The average amount of precipitation (liquid or solid water particles), received annually is 30.28 inches (769.112 mm) according to the National Climate Report and 20 inches (508 mm) in Canada according to Weather-atlas. These averages are nowhere near the 467.4 inches (11,872 mm) average annual rainfall of Mawsynram.
On August 19, 2015, alone, the town received up to 29.3 Inches (745.2 mm) of rainfall which is more than the total annual precipitation of Canada.
5 Wellington, New Zealand: The Windiest City In The World
Extremely windy weather may be unpleasant but they make a great atmosphere for windsurfing. In Wellington, New Zealand the never-ending wind runs fast all year. The average wind speed in this New Zealand city is between 13 Mph and 16 Mph (20 Km/h and 25.7 Km/h) and the highest recorded wind speed is 150 miles per hour (241 Km/h)
There are; however other parts of the world that record more windy weather than New Zealand; although, some of these places are mostly uninhabited or only inhabited by scientists/researchers. These other windy places include:
- Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica: which holds the current position according to the Guinness Book of World Records and National Geographic Atlas for the windiest place on Earth with a wind speed of 150 miles per hour (240 KM per hour). Its average annual wind is 50 Miles per hour.
- Mount Everest: with an average wind of 100 miles per hour (160 Km/h) and a record wind speed of 175 miles per hour (280 Km/h).
- Mount Washington: which holds the record for the highest recorded wind speed of 231 miles per hour (371.7km/h)
- Gaussian, France: With an average wind speed of 11.2 miles per hour (18.02 Km/h).
4 Aomori City, Japan: The Snowiest Place In the World
Roads in this city with the earth’s highest snow deposit are always covered in snow. Aomori city experiences an average annual snowfall of up to 26 feet (7.9 meters) which is more than the 12.5 feet (3.81) average annual snowfall in Quebec, Canada (Another snowiest city in the world). During winter, daily snow depth can go as deep as 4 meters, deep enough to completely cover up to an average of two humans standing on top of each other.
The locals use these heavy snow deposits to their advantage by creating festivals such as – the Snow lantern festival and Lake Towada Winter story.
3 Bodele Depression: Dustiest Place In The World
Located in the northern parts of Chad and the eastern parts of the Sahara desert is this place that holds the current position for the dustiest place in the world. It is so dusty that the very air you breathe is poisonous. Even the local desert people avoid this dust stronghold. Up to 100 dust storms occur each year in the Bodele Depression, transmitting dust particles to neighboring parts of the world such as West Africa.
2 Hawaii, US: Place With The Most Active Volcano In The World
Volcanoes are very important natural elements that create earth surfaces, hot springs, interesting hiking paths, and fertile lands for farming. On the flip side, volcanoes are also some of the world’s most dangerous natural elements, often posing great threats to those inhabiting their environments.
Hawaii is a place filled with so many active volcanoes such as – Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes. Kilauea volcano is currently the most active volcano in the world. In 2018, the volcano erupted, blowing poisonous fumes into the air, shaking the earth with vibrations, and sending over 10930C (20000F) of boiling lava streaming and covering up to 5,914 acres (9 square miles) of land. Over 2000 people were reportedly evacuated while 700 homes were destroyed according to Hawaii County Civil Defense.
1 Grand Banks, Newfoundland, Canada: Foggiest Place On Earth
Fog may not be such a terrible or really intriguing thing to humans but it does cause some obstructions to the normal life of humans. The atmosphere of Grand Banks is usually fogged for more than 200 days, taking up the most part of the year. Fogs here get so thick, often rendering vision useless; although, aside from the foggy nature of this North American city, it is still considered one of the richest places in the world for fishing.