Wellington, New Zealand

The strongest gust of wind that was recorded here was 248 km/h. Gusts of wind exceeded gale force on 175 days of the year. This is because Wellington is located between pressure belts causing the wind travelling from high to low pressure to pass through it. Also, it is located beside the Cook Strait which is the only major gap between the mountains that run the length of the north and south islands, this results in the winds being funneled through the passage, making them stronger.

Al-Aziziyah, Libya

Here the world’s hottest air temperature was recorded of 57.8°C in 1992. This is because it is not only quite near to the equator so the sun rays are concentrated but it is also in an area of high pressure so there are very few cloud to block the sun, this results in it getting very hot.

Ureca, Equatorial Guinea

It is the wettest place in the world with 10450 mm of rainfall per year. This is because it is in the inter-tropical convergence zone which is an area of low pressure. This means that there is a low of rainfall caused by the rise of hot humid air. As Ureca is also an island, it is surrounded by water meaning there is more evaporating causing more rainfall.

Vostok, Antarctica

Vostok recorded the coldest ever temperature of -89.2°C in 1983. This is because it is on the South Pole so the sun’s rays are least concentrated. The snow is also very good at reflecting sunlight so it keeps cold. Vostok is also beneath a jet stream, which causes strong winds that make it colder as well as it being at an elevation of 3489 meters because the higher altitude the colder it is.

Atacama desert, South America

with an average annual rainfall of only 15 mm, it is one of the driest places on Earth. This is because the desert is in the rain shadow of the Andes and it is in an area of high pressure so it has very little rainfall.