NORFOLK, Va. — Every year we see so many mind-boggling weather phenomena. So, here’s a list of some of the world's most interesting weather facts and how some compare to what we've experienced here in Virginia.
Virginia's largest hailstone
The largest hailstone ever recorded in the United States was about the size of a volleyball, measuring eight inches in diameter and weighing nearly two pounds.
The largest hailstone ever recorded here in Virginia was nearly three inches smaller, coming in around five inches set back in 1968.
How many tornadoes does Virginia get each year?
The United States experiences more tornadoes than any other country, with an average of over 1,200 tornadoes occurring each year. This is also related to the fastest wind speed ever recorded, 318 miles per hour during a tornado in Oklahoma City in 1999. In Virginia, we only see about 12 tornadoes per year, peaking from the months of April to June.
Hottest temperatures in Hampton Roads
The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 134 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley, California, in 1913. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -128.6 degrees Fahrenheit at Vostok Station in Antarctica in 1983.
Here in Hampton Roads, the hottest temperature ever recorded at Norfolk International Airport was 105 degrees and the highest temperature within the state was 110 degrees set back in 1954. The coldest was set back in January of 1985 with a record low of -3 degrees at the Norfolk International Airport.
How much lightning does Virginia get?
A single bolt of lightning can heat the air around it to temperatures five times hotter than the sun's surface, reaching up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
A study done back in 2020 found that within that one year, over 13 million lightning bolts were detected here in Virginia. 12,743,153 being in the clouds and 490,834 being cloud-to-ground lightning.
How much rain does Hampton Roads get?
The wettest place on Earth is Mawsynram in India, which receives an average annual rainfall of 467.4 inches, while here in Hampton Roads, our average annual rainfall is about 49.18 inches.
