During an April storm in 1934, a wind gust of 231 miles per hour (372 kilometers per hour) threw itself across the summit of Mount Washington. That stood as a record for the all-time surface wind speed observed by man.
Until two weeks ago.
On January 22, 2010, the World Meteorological Organization released a report stating that a new world record wind speed was recorded on April 10, 1996 in Barrow Island, Australia during Typhoon Olivia. The new record stands at 253 mph.
Mount Washington can still call itself the home of the windiest place in the Northern Hemisphere.
It can still claim its title for the all-time surface wind speed observed by man. The 1996 speed was recorded by a machine.
Sources:
- Record blown away, but pride stays put By David Filipov for the Boston Globe
- The Story of the World Record Wind from the Mount Washington Observatory
- Mount Washington gust record gone with the wind By David Brooks for the Nashua Telegraph
- World: Maximum Surface Wind Gust (3-Second)
- Mount Washington’s World Record Wind Speed Toppled from the Mount Washington Observatory
- The New World Record Wind Speed: Initial Thoughts by Brian Clark for the Mt. Washington Blog
- World Meteorological Organization Press Release
