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Photograph by Tom Murphy
Emperor penguins huddle together to escape wind and stay warm in Antarctica, the coldest continent. The world's record-low temperature of -128.56 degrees Fahrenheit (-89.2 degrees Celsius) was recorded there. Some coasts of Antarctica are the windiest places in the world. Low-pressure systems combined with katabatic winds, can cause wind speeds of over 62 mph (100 kmh) for many days and wind gusts of over 124 mph (200 kmh). -
Photograph by Prit Vesilind
India's monsoon rains, seen here lashing palm trees in Trivandrum, Kerala, bring needed water and welcome relief from the long, hot dry season. Unfortunately, they may also bring heavy flooding. -
Photograph by Elle Edmiston, My Shot
An 18-wheeler truck outpaces a storm in South Dakota. This midwestern state often endures severe thunderstorms with high winds and hail during the summer. It is also part of "Tornado Alley." One day in 2003, 67 tornadoes were recorded in the South Dakota. -
Photograph by Steve McCurry
High winds pick up loose sand and dust and move it at high speeds, severely reducing visibility in the plains of India's Rajasthan. Women stand behind a tree for protection. -
Photograph by Donald Barnett, My Shot
Waves crash on a pier in the Western Cape of South Africa. -
Photograph by Alex Snyder, My Shot
Lightning spreads across the sky above the Court House in Athens, Ohio. Lightning is extremely hot—a flash can heat the air around it to temperatures five times hotter than the sun’s surface. This heat causes surrounding air to rapidly expand and vibrate, which creates the thunder we hear a short time after seeing a lightning flash. -
Photograph by Ami Vitale
Monsoons are seasonal winds that blow from one direction for approximately six months and often bring torrential rains. The winds blow in the opposite direction for the remaining six months, during which little rain falls. -
Photograph by Sharon Gabryszak, My Shot
Dust devils range from 10 to 300 feet (3 to 91 meters), with an average height of approximately 500 to 1000 feet (152 to 305 meters). These spinning whirlwinds typically last only a few minutes, but can last for over an hour. Wind speeds in larger dust devils can reach 60 mph (97 kmh) or greater.
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