Extreme Weather on Earth

Introduction

• Weather, climate, and water-related disasters have increased fivefold over the past 50 years.
• Losses of over $200 million daily due to these disasters.
• Focus on the most extreme weather conditions on Earth: hottest, coldest, windiest, driest, and wettest.

Driest Place: Atacama Desert

• Located between Peru and northern Chile.
• Some areas have remained rain-free for centuries.
• Affected by the Hadley cell: dry air descends around 30 degrees latitude, creating deserts.
• Intensified by the rain shadow effect from both the Andes and the Chilean coastal range.

Hottest Place: Death Valley

• Holds world record for hottest air temperature at 134°F.
• Located in the Mojave Desert, influenced by the Hadley cell.
• Very dry, little water to absorb heat, leading to high ground temperatures.
• Low elevation (282 feet below sea level) contributes to heat as air compresses and warms.

Windiest City: Wellington, New Zealand

• Average wind speed over 16 mph.
• Influenced by the Venturi effect; wind funneled through Cook Strait.

Coldest and Windiest Place: East Antarctic Plateau

• Coldest place on Earth.
• Katabatic winds reach speeds of 150 mph.
• Winds driven by gravity as dense cold air descends towards the coast.

Wettest Places: Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, India

• Located on the windward side of the Khasi Hills.
• Experience orographic lift; monsoon clouds forced to cool and condense, causing heavy rainfall.
• Cherrapunji holds record for annual rainfall at 1,042 inches in a year.

World's Worst Weather: Mount Washington, New Hampshire

• Known for extreme weather conditions.
• 231 mph wind speed recorded, North American wind chill record at -108°F.
• Exposed to fast-moving air masses and the Venturi effect due to topography.
• Positioned at the midpoint between the equator and poles leads to frequent storm activity.
• High moisture content contributes to instability and extreme conditions.

Conclusion

• Mount Washington's unique combination of topography, location, and moisture leads to some of the most extreme weather on the planet.

Additional Information

• Provided by Wren, a company that calculates and offsets carbon footprints by funding environmental projects.