Which is the windiest place on Earth?
Commonwealth Bay in Antarctica is often called the windiest place on Earth, with average wind speeds of about 80 km/h and gusts over 240 km/h. Mount Washington in the US recorded one of the strongest surface winds ever.
Commonwealth Bay, on the coast of East Antarctica, is hit by katabatic winds, cold, dense air that flows downhill off the high Antarctic ice sheet and accelerates toward the sea. Australian explorer Douglas Mawson's expedition, based there from 1911 to 1914, called it the home of the blizzard.
On April 12, 1934, a wind gust of 372 kilometers per hour was recorded at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, USA. For decades it was the strongest surface wind measured. In 1996, during Cyclone Olivia, a gust of 408 kilometers per hour was recorded on Barrow Island, Australia, which is now the official record, excluding tornadoes.
Other windy places
Wellington, New Zealand, is often called the windiest city in the world, thanks to winds funneled through Cook Strait. Patagonia in South America and the Faroe Islands are also known for strong, frequent winds.
Did You Know?
Tornadoes can have even faster winds. Radar measured winds of about 486 kilometers per hour in a tornado near Oklahoma City in 1999.