Earth's weather operates across an extraordinary range. The same planet that contains cities where it almost never rains also contains places that receive more than 10,000mm of rainfall in a single year. The same atmosphere that generates -40°C Arctic cold also produces desert heat above 50°C. Here is a tour of the most extreme weather records and the places that hold them.

The Hottest Cities on Earth

Kuwait City, Kuwait regularly experiences the highest urban temperatures of any major city. Temperatures above 45°C are routine in July, and the national record for Kuwait is 53.5°C. The combination of desert location, low altitude, and urban heat island effect makes it consistently among the world's hottest cities.

Ahvaz, Iran holds the record for the highest recorded "feels like" temperature ever documented. In 2015, the heat index reached an extraordinary 74°C (165°F) — a combination of extreme air temperature and near-100% humidity that created theoretically unsurvivable outdoor conditions.

Death Valley, California holds the all-time maximum air temperature record of 56.7°C, recorded on July 10, 1913 — the highest reliably recorded surface air temperature in world history.

The Coldest Inhabited Places

Oymyakon, Russia (Siberia) is the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth. The lowest recorded temperature is -67.7°C (-89.9°F), recorded in 1933. Average January temperatures are around -50°C. Despite this, approximately 500 people live there year-round.

Yakutsk, Russia, with a population of 300,000, is the largest city built on continuous permafrost and the coldest city of meaningful size in the world. January averages -40°C. Cars are left running year-round in winter to prevent engines from freezing. Eyelashes freeze within minutes outside.

The Wettest Places

Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, India (both in Meghalaya state) compete for the title of the world's wettest place, depending on the year. Mawsynram averages approximately 11,871mm of annual rainfall — nearly 12 metres of water falling from the sky every year. July alone can see 3,000mm+. The moisture-laden winds off the Bay of Bengal are forced abruptly upward by the Khasi Hills, releasing enormous amounts of rainfall in a concentrated area.

Tutunendo, Colombia averages around 11,770mm annually — also in contention for world's wettest city title.

The Driest Places

The Atacama Desert, Chile includes areas that may not have received measurable rainfall for decades. Some parts of the Atacama average less than 1mm of annual rainfall — effectively zero. Antofagasta, the largest Atacama coastal city, averages just 4mm per year.

Aswan, Egypt is among the driest cities in the world outside polar deserts, averaging less than 1mm of annual rainfall.

The Windiest

Wellington, New Zealand is the windiest city in the world by average sustained wind speed. Its exposed position at the bottom of the North Island, funnelling the "Roaring Forties" winds between the two main islands, produces average wind speeds of 25–30 km/h — and gusts frequently exceeding 100 km/h.

Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica holds the record for highest average surface wind speeds on Earth — katabatic winds regularly exceed 240 km/h (150 mph).

Track current conditions in any of these cities — Cairo, Mumbai, and others — on the SunorSnow multi-city weather dashboard.