Weather or climate elements, and characteristics

The global, hemispheric or regional Records are observations of weather and climate extremes as described in the list below:

Weather or climate element 

Element Characteristic 

Global 

Hemispheric 

WMO Region or other 

Temperature 

Highest Temperature 

 

 

 

Lowest Temperature 

 

 

 

Pressure 

Highest Sea Level Air Pressure Below 750m 

 

  

  

Highest Sea Level Air Pressure Above 750m 

 

  

  

Lowest Sea Level Air Pressure (excluding tornadoes) 

 

  

  

Rainfall 

Greatest 1-Min Rainfall 

 

  

  

Greatest 60-Min Rainfall 

 

  

  

Greatest 12-Hr Rainfall 

 

  

  

Greatest 24-Hr Rainfall 

 

 

  

Greatest 48-Hr Rainfall 

 

  

  

Greatest 72-Hr Rainfall 

 

  

  

Greatest 96-Hr Rainfall 

 

  

  

Greatest 12-Mo Rainfall 

 

  

  

Greatest Precipitation (average annual) 

  

  

 

Least Precipitation (average annual) 

  

  

 

Hail 

Heaviest Hailstone 

 

 

  

Aridity 

Longest Dry Period 

 

  

  

Wind 

Maximum Gust 

 

 

  

Maximum Gust for Tropical Cyclone 

 

  

  

Lightning 

Longest Distance Lightning Flash 

 

  

  

Longest Duration Lightning Flash 

 

  

  

Weather-Related Mortality 

Highest Mortality: Lightning 

 

  

  

Highest Mortality: Lightning (single stroke) 

 

Highest Mortality: Tropical Cyclone 

 

Highest Mortality: Tornado 

 

Highest Mortality: Hailstorm 

 

Highest Mortality: Tornado 

 

World Tornado Records 

Longest-lasting / Greatest Distance Traveled (single tornado) 

 

  

  

Biggest (Numerical) Tornado Outbreak 

 

  

  

Widest Tornado (maximum diameter) 

 

  

  

Calendar Month with Greatest number of Tornadoes 

 

  

  

Highest Recorded Tornadic Wind Speed 

 

  

  

Longest Tornado Transport 

 

  

  

World Tropical Cyclone Records 

Most Intense - by Central Pressure (World and Eastern Hemisphere) 

 

  

  

Most Intense - by Central Pressure (Western Hemisphere) 

 

  

  

Most Intense - by Maximum Sustained Surface Wind  

 

  

  

Maximum Surface Wind Gust for Tropical Cyclone 

 

  

  

Fastest Intensification 

 

  

  

Highest Storm Surge 

 

  

  

First Identified South Atlantic Hurricane 

Largest Tropical Cyclone (winds from center) 

 

  

  

Smallest Tropical Cyclone (winds from center) 

 

  

  

Longest Lasting Tropical Cyclone 

 

  

  

Longest Distance Traveled by Tropical Cyclone 

 

  

  

Smallest eye 

 

  

  

Largest eye 

 

  

  

Largest Rainfall of Tropical Cyclones 

12 hr 

 

  

  

24 hr 

 

  

  

48 hr 

 

  

  

72 hr 

 

  

  

96 hr 

 

  

  

10-day 

 

  

  

World Meteorological-Related Phenomena Records 

World's Highest Significant Wave Height by Ship Observation 

 

  

  

World’s Highest Significant Wave Height by Buoy