Asia
Asia is the world's largest continent and contains more climate extremes than any other. It spans from the world's largest hot deserts to the coldest inhabited places on Earth, from the driest plateaus to the planet's highest rainfall location.
Highest Temperatures
CONTINENTAL RECORD HIGH (MODERN INSTRUMENTS)
54.0°C
129.2°F · Recorded simultaneously at two stations
Mitribah
The highest temperature verifiable under modern WMO standards. Recorded simultaneously at two separate stations in the Middle East during an exceptional heat event. Many meteorologists treat this as more reliable than the 1913 Death Valley reading due to modern calibrated instruments.
PAKISTAN ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH
53.8°C
128.8°F
Turbat
Pakistan has one of the world's highest concentrations of extreme heat stations -- the Indus Valley and Balochistan plateau regularly exceed 50°C in May and June as the Asian heat low deepens before the monsoon.
HIGHEST GROUND SURFACE TEMPERATURE (SATELLITE)
~70°C
Surface skin temperature · Air temp above 50°C recorded nearby
Dasht-e Lut (Lut Desert)
Satellite-derived surface temperatures in the Dasht-e Lut have reached approximately 70°C, the highest ground surface temperature ever recorded anywhere on Earth. Air temperatures above 50°C have been measured at weather stations in the region.
Lowest Temperatures
COLDEST INHABITED PLACES ON EARTH
-67.8°C
-90°F · Both towns claim the record
Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk
Both Siberian towns claim the Northern Hemisphere cold record. Verkhoyansk's 1892 reading predates modern instruments; Oymyakon's 1933 reading is more widely cited. They are the coldest permanently inhabited places on Earth -- winter temperatures routinely fall below -50°C.
WORLD'S COLDEST CAPITAL CITY
~-53°C
~-63°F · Extreme winter minimum
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is the world's coldest capital city, experiencing a continental climate with virtually no moderating maritime influence. The Siberian High pressure system can drive temperatures well below -40°C in the city each winter.
Precipitation
WORLD RECORD ANNUAL RAINFALL (WMO)
11,873 mm
467 inches annual average
Mawsynram
The world record for highest average annual rainfall, recognised by the WMO. Located on the southern rim of the Khasi Hills, Mawsynram intercepts the full force of Bay of Bengal monsoon moisture forced up a steep hillside. The monsoon season (June-September) accounts for the vast majority of rainfall.
WORLD RECORD MONTHLY RAINFALL
9,300 mm
366 inches in a single calendar month
Cherrapunji
The world record for highest rainfall in a calendar month. Cherrapunji also holds the record for highest annual total in a single year (26,461mm in 1860-61). The two neighbouring towns have competed for the world's wettest title for over 150 years.
Wind
MOST INTENSE TROPICAL CYCLONE BY PRESSURE
870 hPa
~315 km/h / ~196 mph winds (extrapolated)
Typhoon Tip
The most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded by central pressure, though wind speeds are extrapolated from aircraft reconnaissance. The Western Pacific basin (where typhoons form) is the world's most active tropical cyclone region by frequency and intensity.