Meteorology

This record was set during Tropical Cyclone Olivia on Barrow Island, Australia, in 1996. The extreme gusts were measured by an automatic weather station, highlighting the immense power of severe tropical storms.

While they appear light and fluffy, clouds are made of tiny water droplets. A typical cumulus cloud, about a kilometer across, contains hundreds of tons of water, equivalent to several blue whales, despite floating effortlessly.