Explore the windiest places in the world

These are locations with frequent gusts of wind and the highest wind speeds ever recorded.

Wellington, New Zealand (248 km/h): The capital of New Zealand is the windiest capital in the world. The average annual wind speed here is 47 km/h, strong enough to make most of us squint and seek cover when encountered. In particular, the city experienced a storm with the highest record wind speed of 248 km/h in the winter of 1962. (Photo: Milosz Maslanka).

Shetland Islands, England (278 km/h): Located between the northern tip of Scotland and the Faroe Islands, the Shetland Islands are the windiest destination in the UK according to Met Office data. The islands have a fairly strong average annual wind speed of 24 km/h and gusts of more than 278 km/h occurred in 1986. Shetland consists of more than 100 islands, 15 of which are inhabited. living. The archipelago has a mountainous landscape with a rather mild climate. Winter brings the strongest winds, sometimes reaching hurricane strength (over 117 km/h), while spring and summer weather is milder. (Photo: Chris Furlong).

Mount Everest, China and Nepal (282 km/h): The roof of the world is no stranger to extreme weather phenomena. Overcoming extreme conditions and conquering the 8,848 m altitude of Everest is also a challenge that many people want to reach. This high mountain region has strong winds common with speeds above 161 km/h in winter. The record wind speed recorded at the top of the mountain was 282 km/h in February 2004. From May to September is considered the calmest months, the most suitable for climbing. (Photo: Vixit).

Kirkwood Mountain, California, USA (336 km/h): A new record for the strongest wind speed in the state of California was set in February 2020 at Kirkwood Mountain, a resort located just south of Lake Tahoe . Whistling winds with a speed of 336 km/h were recorded at an altitude of 2,800 m above the ground. Kirkwood's slopes are popular for skiing and snowboarding. (Photo: George Rose).

Mount Washington, New Hampshire, USA (372 km/h): This peak holds the title of having the highest wind speed in the world for more than 60 years. A figure of 372 km/h was reported by staff in the mountain's observatory in April 1934. The highest peak in the Northeast of the United States is in the frequent hurricane belt. The average annual wind speed is around 51 km/h and the average high is 74 km/h in the windiest month (January). Mount Washington is considered the windiest place in the United States when experiencing strong winds of 117 km / h on more than 100 days a year. (Photo: Spencer Grant).

Barrow Island, Australia (408 km/h): Barrow Island is home to the most important oceanographic reserve in Western Australia and owns oil fields off the Pilbara region. The average annual wind speed on the island is only 19 km/h, but it witnessed a tornado with winds of 408 km/h in April 1996. Super strong winds were blown up by Hurricane Olivia. (Photo: Totajla).

Oklahoma City, USA (486 km/h): The fastest wind speed ever on Earth blew over the Bridge Creek area of ​​Oklahoma City. Wind gusts of 486 km/h were recorded by a portable Doppler radar when a tornado hit in May 1999. This is the fastest wind speed according to the Guinness World Records. Oklahoma City has the highest average wind speeds at 21 km/h, and early April is usually the windiest time of year. (Photo: Gerson Repreza).