About This Quiz
Some places on Earth have consistently unpleasant weather and downright disgusting climates. How much do you know about the world's worst weather?A Russian research station captured the temperature reading in 1983.
A temperature of -128.6 F is so cold that frostbite is an afterthought and survival is questionable.
In 1996, as part of Tropical Cyclone Oliva, the winds gusted to 253 mph.
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In 1934, on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, the wind once topped 230 mph; until 1996 it was the highest recorded wind speed ever.
Located on the western coast of South America, the Atacama receives virtually no rain at all.
In 1999, hundreds of thousands of tons of hail blasted Sydney, caused billions in damage and sending dozens of people to the hospital.
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With nearly 470 inches of rain annually, you will save a lot of money on sunscreen by living here.
With about 1,000 twisters per year, the U.S. deals with far more tornadoes than any other country.
Canada has about 100 tornadoes per year; China has only 10.
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Only a few hundred people live here, but they manage to survive even when the "high" temperature is a brisk -44.5 Fahrenheit.
With less than an inch of rain, as well as temperatures that swing both hot and cold, there's a reason that hardly anyone lives in the Sahara.
With an average temperature of -50.4 Fahrenheit, it's a punishing place, and thus, appropriate that it was once used as a forced "vacation" destination for political opponents.
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A spot in Mount Rainier National Park is the snowiest, with more than 55 feet of snow each year
Between 10 and 30 people were killed by coconut-sized hailstones; 15 inches of rain fell in just 15 minutes.
Mount Logan is the second-tallest mountain in North America and has notoriously frigid temperatures, with a median of -17 degrees Fahrenheit.
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In part due to location and in part due to its vast size, Texas records the most tornadoes, with almost 150 annually.
So called because of their prevalence at a latitude of 60 degrees, these winds lash the coasts of Antarctica and often terrify sailors.
A weather station recorded a temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit way back in 1913.
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Dark lava covers parts of this area of Iran, absorbing the sun's energy and creating the hottest surface temperatures on Earth.
If you like your steak rare, 159 degrees would be enough to warm up your dinner.
K2 has some of the coldest and windiest weather on the planet, and not even the toughest climbers have yet summited its peak during winter.
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A hailstone with a diameter of nearly 8 inches (and weighing nearly 2 pounds) was found after a storm in Vivian, South Dakota.
Wellington has a reputation for consistently high wind speeds, with an average of about 18 mph.
Antarctica is a desert, one that is inhospitable to most life due to its crazy extreme weather.
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At only around 10 mph, Chicago has some catching up to do; New York City and Oklahoma City both top 12 mph on average.
The hail damaged and ruined vehicles, buildings and homes to the tune of around $900 million.
Ross Island is home to McMurdo Station, which has more than 1,000 people milling about, trying to keep warm because the average temperatures never top freezing.
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International Falls, Minnesota, which experiences temperatures of 0 degrees Fahrenheit for about two months each year, won the trademark for "Icebox of the Nation" over Fraser, Colorado.
Even as summer sets in, the temperatures hover below freezing at night in Fraser, which sits just below 8,600 feet and is just north of Winter Park.
Vostok is more than 11,000 feet above sea level, meaning that it may never top 10 degrees Fahrenheit, so leave your bikinis at home.
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