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 | ✓ |