While definitions vary, Wellington (New Zealand), Rio Gallegos (Argentina), and St. John's (Canada) are consistently ranked among the top windiest cities, known for persistent strong winds, though locations like Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica, experience even more extreme, non-city wind patterns, and cities like Perth also rank high. Wellington often tops lists with its strong westerlies, Rio Gallegos faces powerful gusts from Patagonia's "Roaring Forties," and St. John's is North America's windiest.
Yes, Perth is often cited as the third windiest capital city in the world, behind Chicago and Wellington, New Zealand, known for its strong sea breezes, especially the summer "Fremantle Doctor," though some sources debate exact rankings, it's consistently recognized as very windy. Perth benefits from its geography, with nothing blocking winds from the Indian Ocean, making it Australia's breeziest capital, often featuring strong winds even in the CBD.
John's, Newfoundland, Canada; Perth, Australia; and Yigo, Guam.
Yes, Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is widely considered the world's windiest city due to its location at the mouth of the Cook Strait, which funnels strong winds, giving it a high average wind speed (around 27 km/h or 17 mph) and making it famous for its persistent, powerful gusts. While some debate exists on measurement specifics (e.g., airport vs. city center), it consistently ranks at or near the top for windiness among major urban centers globally.
Australia experiences a wider range of temperatures, from very hot in the summer to quite cold in the winter in some areas. New Zealand, on the other hand, has a more temperate climate, with milder temperatures year-round, hotter in the north island, and the South Island will see snow for most of the winter.
Commonwealth Bay, Antartica
The Guinness Book of World Records and National Geographic Atlas have both listed this bay in Antarctica as the windiest place on the planet. Katabatic winds in Commonwealth Bay are recorded at over 150 mph on a regular basis, and the average annual wind speed is 50 mph.
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Amarillo is the windiest city in the U.S.
Redfin ranked the cities based on the annual average wind speed, and in Amarillo, that is 12.9 miles per hour. Officially, the record highest wind speed in Amarillo is 84 miles per hour in 1949, according to Redfin.
Yes, a Category 2 cyclone (gusts 125-164 km/h) can definitely break windows with flying debris like tree branches, and once a window breaks, the internal pressure increase can lead to roof or wall failure, making it crucial to shelter away from windows and secure them with cyclone screens or boards.
China leads the world in wind energy, boasting a wind turbine capacity of 441,895 megawatts—nearly three times that of the U.S., which ranks second.
This led to a lot of talking and promotion. At the same time, Chicago is known for its breezy lakefront. So, the nickname “Windy City” also was a playful way to describe both the city's windy weather and the talkative nature of its people. This nickname has stuck around and is part of Chicago's history.
The Places with the Worst Weather in the World
Earlier this year, a study confirmed what many of us already knew – Hobart is Australia's coldest city to live in.
Yes, Perth is wetter than London in terms of total annual rainfall, averaging around 733mm compared to London's roughly 557mm, but Perth's rain comes in fewer, heavier winter downpours, while London experiences more frequent, lighter drizzle spread throughout the year, making it seem perpetually grey but with less intense rain events.
Australia's strongest winds occur in the cyclone-prone Pilbara coast (WA) (e.g., Barrow Island with world-record gusts during Cyclone Olivia) and high-altitude areas like Tasmania's mountains (kunanyi/Mt Wellington) and the Southern Ocean islands, with other strong gusts common in SE Australia during frontal systems, though generally weaker than cyclones.
The Earth contains five major wind zones: polar easterlies, westerlies, horse latitudes, trade winds, and the doldrums. Polar easterlies are dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the east.
Previous answers to similar questions at Quora have been: “Oak Ridge in Tennessee is the least windiest city in the USA. Brazil has a large area of its country (Amazonas) with low average wind speed. Gabon, Congo and DR Congo in Africa are quiet, as are Sumatra, Indonesia and Malaysia.”
Hobart, Tasmania, is widely recognized as the cheapest major city, but smaller regional towns in Queensland and South Australia can offer even lower living costs.
Yes, $70k is a fair salary in Australia, often near the median income, making it a decent living for a single person, especially outside major cities, but it can be tight in expensive areas or for those with high living costs like mortgages, with full-time averages now closer to $90k-$100k.
There's no single "most beautiful" town, but Richmond, Tasmania, often tops lists for its historic Georgian architecture and colonial bridge, while Noosa, Queensland, and Byron Bay, NSW, are famous for stunning beaches and vibrant vibes, and coastal towns like Esperance, WA, and Port Fairy, VIC, are celebrated for breathtaking natural beauty, making your choice depend on whether you prefer history, coast, or countryside charm**.
Neptune has the strongest winds in the Solar System. Winds whip clouds of frozen methane across the planet at speeds of more than 1,200 miles per hour (2,000 kilometers per hour). This is close to the top speed of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet!
These slightly faster urban winds may be beneficial to city residents. “They could provide a refreshing breeze on hot days and it might promote ventilation of air pollution,” says Arjan Droste from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
Due to its position in the 'Roaring Forties', a belt of strong winds in the Southern Hemisphere which generally occur between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees, as well as its small size, New Zealand is a windy country.