Have you ever had your umbrella flipped inside out by a sudden gust of wind? There are places around the world that are notorious for their unrelenting winds, with gusts that just seem to never let up. Some are windswept cities, others are high-altitude mountaintops, and there is even the isolated Antarctic coast. We will explore 15 locations that take windy weather to a new high.
Gruissan, France
Gruissan is a scenic town located along France’s Mediterranean coastline with some of the strongest winds in the country. Because of the Tramontane and Mistral winds that blow through the south of France, Gruissan experiences an annual average of 300 days of constant wind. The wind speeds average around 18 mph, with many gusts regularly exceeding 60 mph.
Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica
Commonwealth Bay in Antarctica holds the Guinness World Record for the windiest place on Earth. The katabatic winds in the area have been recorded blowing well over 150 mph, while its average annual wind speeds come out at 50 mph. Scientists and researchers who venture to Commonwealth Bay often return telling stories of winds that never calmed down.
Barrow Island, Australia
The Southern Hemisphere has some of the most punishing winds in the world, which leaves Barrow Island to endure punishing winds year-round. In storm season the island faces regular cyclonic wind speeds of over 180 mph, with the fastest ever being recorded in 1996 at 253 mph!
Mount Washington, New Hampshire, United States
Mount Washington looms over New England and acquired the world record in 1934 for the fastest wind speed recorded, coming out at 231 mph. The mountain sits in the path of many major storm tracks and because of its altitude of over 6,000 ft, it has regular strong gusts of wind for more than 100 days in a year.
Kirkwood Mountain, California, United States
Kirkwood Mountain is located in California’s Sierra Nevada, which repeatedly scores as one of the windiest places in America. Wind speeds are quite low in summer months (13 mph), but pick up considerably (exceeding 100 mph) in winter months. In February 2020, a gust of 206 mph was recorded at the mountain’s summit, which broke the highest wind speed in the area and cemented its windy reputation.
Rio Gallegos, Argentina
With no interruptions in annual wind, Rio Gallegos in Patagonia has average annual winds between 15 – 20 mph. Many gusts will exceed 60 mph throughout the year, but because it is located so close to the South Atlantic coast, nothing blocks it from the wind. The winds blow so often that many trees grow and permanently bend eastwards.
Wellington, New Zealand
Often called “The Windy City” by residents, Wellington experiences over 170 days of annual wind and is known as the windiest city on Earth. The city is lodged between the Cook Strait and its surrounding hillsides, making a natural tunnel for wind to travel down. Its yearly average wind speed is around 22 mph, and many buildings have been fortified to withstand nearly constant gusts of wind throughout the year.
St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
St. John’s is one of North America’s windiest cities, with an average annual wind speed of slightly over 21 mph. The city sits in the easternmost part of Canada and is exposed to some of the fierce gusts from the Atlantic Ocean. Much like Wellington, St. John’s residents have made their location’s windy nature a part of daily life and not something that holds them back.
Cairngorms, Scotland
The Cairngorms in Scotland are renowned for their harsh weather, especially the cold gusts of wind. Its average wind speed is around 40 mph throughout the year, but in winter it becomes increasingly more windy. Hikers and climbers are often faced with wet and windy weather, with the most intense gust reaching 173 mph!
Dodge City, Kansas, United States
Tornado Alley, where Dodge City is located, is known for having some of the most devastating wind speeds throughout the entire world. The average annual winds are around 13.9 mph, crowning Dodge City as the windiest city in America. During the summer months, there have been recorded speeds of over 70 mph, and during tornado season the wind speeds will increase drastically.
Baku, Azerbaijan
Baku, which is located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, is also known as Eurasia’s windiest city. The gusts in Baku average more than 11 mph, which come primarily from the Caspian Sea. Winds reaching over 78 mph have been recorded in the vicinity. Baku also suffers from pollution, which the constant gusts of wind conveniently blow away from the city.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik is exposed to the full force of the winds that come from the Arctic Circle. The city is the capital of Iceland and averages wind speeds of around 10 – 15 mph throughout the year. These gusts are extremely cold, as they blow from the cold North Atlantic Ocean with the strongest gust recorded being more than 165 mph.
Port Welshpool, Australia
Australia not only has some of the most dangerous animals on Earth, but they also have some of the strongest winds. In the region of Victoria, the coast of the Bass Strait is Port Welshpool, which is Australia’s windiest city with an annual wind speed of 20 mph. The city is quite small, which makes it easier to protect against the wind, but residents still urge tourists to watch out for sudden gusts.
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas is located in the southernmost part of Chile, where the winds coming from Patagonia pummel the town. The town has average wind speeds of 16 mph with gusts that reach 30 mph, most of which originate in the Southern Ocean and make their way over Patagonia. The unique landscape surrounding Punta Arenas is believed to be because of the constant gusts of cold wind moving through the area.
Shetland Islands, Scotland
Shetland Islands is well known for its dramatic landscape, but many visitors also comment about the consistently strong winds on the islands. With wind speeds around 16 mph, the islands are met with year-long wind that can move up to over 20 mph in January. You should be prepared to brave the elements if you travel to the Shetland Islands.
