Temperature

Highest recorded temperature: Al Aziziyah, Libya, 58°C (136.4°F), September 13, 1922

Highest mean annual temperature: Dallol, Ethiopia, 34.4°C (94°F), 1960–66

Longest heatwave: Marble Bar, W Australia, 162 days over 38°C (100°F), October 23, 1923 to April 7, 1924

Lowest recorded temperature (outside poles): Verkhoyansk, Siberia, 268°C (290°F), February 6, 1933¹

Lowest mean annual temperature: Polus Nedostupnosti (Pole of Cold) Antarctica, 257.8°C (272°F)

Precipitation

Driest place: Arica, N Chile, 0.8 mm (0.03 in) per year (60-year average)

Longest drought: Calama, N Chile. No recorded rainfall in 400 years to 1971

Wettest place (average): Tututendo, Colombia. Mean annual rainfall 11,770 mm (463.4 in)

Wettest place (12 months): Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, NE India, 26,470 mm (1040 in), August 1860 to August 1861²

Wettest place (24-hour period): Cilaos, Réunion, Indian Ocean, 1870 mm (73.6 in), March 15–16, 1952

Heaviest hailstones: Gopalganj, Bangladesh, up to 1.02 kg (2.25 Ib), 14 April 1986³

Heaviest snowfall (continuous): Bessans, Savoie France, 1730 mm (68 in) in 19 hours, April 5–6, 1969

Heaviest snowfall (season/year): Paradise Ranger Station, Mt Rainier, Washington, USA, 31,102 mm (1224.5 in), February 19, 1971 to February 18, 1972

Pressure and winds

Highest barometric pressure: Agata, Siberia, 1083.8 mb (32 in) at altitude 262 m (862 ft), December 31, 1968

Lowest barometric pressure: Typhoon Tip, 480 km (300 mi) W of Guam, Pacific Ocean, 870 mb (25.69 in), October 12, 1979

Highest recorded wind speed: Mt Washington, New Hampshire, USA, 371 km/h (231 mph), April 12, 1934⁴

Windiest place: Commonwealth Bay, George V Coast, Antarctica, where gales regularly exceed 320 km/h (200 mph)