World and U.S. Extremes of Climate

Highest Recorded Temperatures

	Place	Date	Degrees Fahrenheit	Degrees Celsius
World (Africa)	El Azizia, Libya	Sept. 13, 1922	136	58
North America (U.S.)	Death Valley, Calif.	July 10, 1913	134	57
Asia	Tirat Tsvi, Israel	June 21, 1942	129	54
Australia*	Oodnadatta, South Australia	Jan. 2, 1960	123.3	50.7
Europe	Athens, Greece	July 7, 1977	118.4	48.0
South America	Villa de María, Argentina	Jan. 1, 1920	120.4	49.1
Canada	Midale and Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan, Canada	July 5, 1937	113	45
Oceania*	Oodnadatta, South Australia	Jan. 2, 1960	123.3	50.7
Persian Gulf (sea-surface)		Aug. 5, 1924	96	36
Antarctica	Vanda Station, Scott Coast	Jan. 5, 1974	59	15
South Pole		Dec. 27, 1978	7.5	–14

*On 16 January 1889, a temperature of 53 °C (128 °F) was recorded at Cloncurry, Queensland. It was measured with a non-standard thermometer, so it is unknown if this reading was valid or not.

Lowest Recorded Temperatures

	Place	Date	Degrees Fahrenheit	Degrees Celsius
World (Antarctica)	Vostok	July 21, 1983	–129	–89
Asia	Oimekon, Russia	Feb. 6, 1933	–90	–68
	Verkhoyansk, Russia	Feb. 7, 1892	–90	–68
Greenland	Northice	Jan. 9, 1954	–87	–66
North America (excl. Greenland)	Snag, Yukon, Canada	Feb. 3, 1947	–81	–63
United States	Prospect Creek, Alaska	Jan. 23, 1971	–80	–62
U.S. (excl. Alaska)	Rogers Pass, Mont.	Jan. 20, 1954	–70	–56.5
Europe	Ust 'Shchugor, Russia	Jan.¹	–67	–55
South America	Sarmiento, Argentina	June 1, 1907	–27	–33
Africa	Ifrane, Morocco	Feb. 11, 1935	–11	–24
Australia	Charlotte Pass, N.S.W.	June 29, 1994	–9	–22
Oceania	Mauna Kea, Hawaii	May 17, 1979	12	–11

1. Exact date unknown; lowest in 15-year period.

Greatest Rainfalls

	Place	Date	Inches	Centimeters
1 minute (World)	Unionville, Md.	July 4, 1956	1.23	3.1
20 minutes (World)	Curtea-de-Arges, Romania	July 7, 1889	8.1	20.5
42 minutes (World)	Holt, Mo.	June 22, 1947	12	30.5
12 hours (World)	Grand Ilet, La Réunion	Jan. 26, 1980	46	114
24 hours (World)	Foc-Foc, La Réunion	Jan. 7–8, 1966	72	182.5
24 hours (N. Hemisphere)	Paishih, Taiwan	Sept. 10–11, 1963	49	125
24 hours (Australia)	Bellenden Ker, Queensland	Jan. 4, 1979	44	114
24 hours (U.S.)	Alvin, Tex.	July 25–26, 1979	43	109
24 hours (Canada)	Ucluelet Brynnor Mines, British Columbia	Oct. 6, 1967	19	49
5 days (World)	Commerson, La Réunion	Jan. 23–28, 1980	156	395
1 month (World)	Cherrapunji, India	July 1861	366	930
12 months (World)	Cherrapunji, India	Aug. 1860–Aug. 1861	1,042	2,647
12 months (U.S.)	Kukui, Maui, Hawaii	Dec. 1981–Dec. 1982	739	1878

Lowest Average Annual Precipitation Extremes

Continent	Place	Lowest avg. (in.)	Elevation (ft)	Years of record
World (South America)	Arica, Chile	0.03	95	59
Africa	Wadi Halfa, Sudan	<0.10	410	39
Antarctica	Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station	0.80¹	9,186	10
North America	Batagues, Mexico	1.20	16	14
Asia	Aden, Yemen	1.80	22	50
Australia	Mulka (Troudaninna), South Australia	4.05	160²	42
Europe	Astrakhan, Russia	6.40	45	25
Oceania	Puako, Hawaii, Hawaii	8.93	5	13

1. The value given is the average amount of solid snow accumulating in one year as indicated by snow markers. The liquid content of the snow is undetermined.

2. Approximate elevation.

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Topographic Laboratories.

Greatest Snowfalls in North America

Weather

Record Highest Temperatures by State