History of Weather in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 26, 2026

Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and time, concerning temperature, humidity, cloud cover, and stability. It primarily occurs in the troposphere, the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Unlike climate, which represents long-term averages, weather describes daily atmospheric conditions. The term 'weather' commonly refers to Earth's weather patterns. Understanding weather involves studying various atmospheric elements and their interactions to predict short-term atmospheric changes.

September 1922: Hottest air temperature recorded

On September 13, 1922, the hottest air temperature ever recorded was 57.7 °C (135.9 °F) at ʽAziziya, Libya, but that reading was deemed illegitimate by the World Meteorological Organization.

July 1983: Coldest air temperature recorded on Earth

On July 21, 1983, the coldest air temperature ever recorded on Earth was registered at Vostok Station, Antarctica, reaching −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F).

2007: Strongest planetary winds discovered on extrasolar planet HD 189733 b

As of 2007, the strongest planetary winds discovered are on the extrasolar planet HD 189733 b, which is thought to have easterly winds moving at more than 9,600 kilometres per hour (6,000 mph).

August 2008: China attempts weather control for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games

In August 2008, China attempted to control the weather in preparation for the Summer Olympic Games held in Beijing. They fired 1,104 rain dispersal rockets from 21 sites in the city in an effort to keep rain away from the opening ceremony of the games on August 8, 2008. Guo Hu, head of the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau (BMB), confirmed the success of the operation.

2011: The Tropics are Warm

In 2011, Stevens wrote that the sun shines more directly on the tropics than on higher latitudes. The earth's rotation strongly influences the atmospheric circulation more strongly at high latitudes than low latitudes which makes clouds and rainstorms in the tropics occur more spontaneously. As a result, temperature is easily forecast in the tropics.

2019: Tornado fatalities and damage costs in the United States

In 2019, tornadoes had the greatest impact on humans in the United States, causing 42 fatalities and over 3 billion dollars in crop and property damage, according to the National Weather Service.