You printed the lowest air pressure, 26.35″, with a hurricane. What is the highest?
Francis Karsh
Dear Francis,
Record high air pressure values invariably occur in association with bitterly cold air. The world record stands at 32.06 inches of mercury, as measured at Tosontsengel, Mongolia, on Dec. 29, 2001. The temperature at the time was -41 (degrees)F. In the United States, Northway, Alaska, holds the record with 31.85″ on Jan. 31, 1989. Temperatures across Alaska then were -40 (degrees) to -80 (degrees).
The low pressure value that you quoted, 26.35″, is a U.S. record, established as a Category 5 hurricane made landfall at Matecumbe Key, Fla., on Sept. 2, 1935. The world record: 25.69″ measured over the Pacific Ocean 520 miles northwest of Guam, in the eye of Typhoon Tip, on Oct. 12, 1979.
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