10 Surprising Facts About Climate and Weather
The atmosphere enveloping our planet Earth is a dynamic and complex system consisting of various layers, gases, and processes that profoundly influence our weather patterns and climate. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of our atmosphere and explore how it shapes the weather phenomena we experience.1. The Earth experiences around 8.6 million lightning strikes every day.
2. The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 134.1°F (56.7°C) in Furnace Creek Ranch, California, USA, on July 10, 1913.
3. Hailstones can reach astonishing sizes, with the largest recorded hailstone measuring 8 inches (20.3 cm) in diameter.
4. The strongest winds recorded on Earth occur in tropical cyclones, with speeds exceeding 200 mph (320 km/h).
5. No two snowflakes are alike, each forming unique crystalline structures due to variations in temperature and humidity during their formation.
6. The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -128.6°F (-89.2°C) at the Soviet Union's Vostok Station in Antarctica on July 21, 1983.
7. The wettest place on Earth is Mawsynram, India, which receives an average annual rainfall of around 467 inches (11,871 mm).
8. A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon caused by reflection, refraction, and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky.
9. Fog consists of water droplets suspended in the air near the Earth's surface and can drastically reduce visibility, sometimes to less than 1 kilometer.
10. The term "derecho" refers to a widespread, long-lived windstorm associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. These storms can produce straight-line winds exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h) and cause significant damage.
