Top 10 Driest Places On Earth
With massive floods creating furore all over, the last thing that comes to our minds is the complete opposite of the wet and drenched regions, i.e. the driest place on Earth. There are numerous places on our planet that receive rainfall less than even 0.76 mm annually. Moreover, there are places which are debated to receive absolutely no rainfall. All these areas are mostly deserts and the climate is absolutely devoid of moisture, discarding a few exceptions. The dry air and desert region adds an eerie touch to these places. No wonder we find terrains such as these as backdrops of many horror flicks! Now these might seem a perfect refuge from the humid weather of coastal areas! But wait folks! As some of these places are ports themselves. Yes! Sweet Mother Nature has her own ways, we guess! Contrary to the common belief of these places being uncomfortable, due to dry atmosphere, one would be amused to gauge the intensity with which these places have an influence on tourism industry of their respective countries. So here we are, providing you with a totally different view about the oh-so-romantic destinations. A different perspective about strange nooks and corners of the world awaits you. In fact, if you happen to be an adventure junkie, these might just be perfect and out of the box destinations on your wish list. Go, grab yourself a bottle of water, as you are definitely getting all dried up from inside, by the mind boggling dryness of these places.
So here we are, providing you with the list of top ten driest places in the world:
10. Callao (Peru)
Callao or El Callao is the largest and most important port of Peru. It is also known as the Constitutional Province. Callao is bordered by Lima Province in north, east and south and Pacific Ocean in the west. The region is home to various islands such as San Lorenzo, El Fronton, the Cavinzas and the Palominos, which is said to have a virtually untouched ecosystem. The average rainfall received by this region is said to be considerably low, at about 12.192 mm. The place has surprisingly always been a favourite to authors varying from Rudyard Kipling to Mario Vargas Llosa. The place also finds mention in The Adventures of Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun.
9. Aoulef (Algeria)
Aoulef is a small town in the country of Algeria. The country itself is dry in its climatic conditions. The town is again covered all around with miles of deserts. The hot winds from the surrounding deserts make it a hot and driest place in the country. Although, the presence of palm trees in the town provide a refuge from the scorching heat of the deserts to the travellers and inhabitants. The place receives very less rainfall of about 12.19 mm per annum.
8. Pelican Point (Namibia)
This point is famous for surfing spots! Yet it is one of the driest places on earth. Pelican Point, this place might come out as a surprise element in the list of world’s top ten driest places. is like an oasis in the African country of Namibia. Despite of being loaded with accolades for being a perfect surfing spot, the place finds a place in our list of world’s top ten dry places. The point is basically a suburb of Western Australia. Pelican Point receives a very low rainfall of about 8.13mm annually. The place draws a lot of revenue from tourism industry due to the presence of before mentioned surfing spots.
7. Iquique (Chile)
Not all port cities are cursed with humungous humidity. Some also have to deal with dryness. The seventh entry in our list of world’s driest places is one such example. Iquique is a port city surrounded by the Atacama Desert on its west and Chile at the top. The city receives an annual rainfall of mere 5.08mm. Rain is generally observed only in the months of January and February. Despite being one of the driest places in the world, the city seems to be fighting against this stigma, as it were, which is evident by the presence of abundant beaches. No wonder Charles Darwin on his visit to the town, described it as a town, “very much in want of everyday necessities, such as water”! Now that is enough to get a smirk from travelers across the globe.
6. Wadi Halfa (Sudan)
Wadi Halfa is a city situated on the shores of Lake Nasser. It has the Nubian Desert, the eastern edge of the Sahara in its surroundings. The city’s average population is around 15,000. Rigorous evaporation and transpiration make this place one of the hottest and driest places of the world. This region receives very low rainfall of about 2.45mm. The dry air of the subtropical desert has a strong influence on the climatic conditions of the city.
5. Ica (Peru)
The city is located on the Ica River about 300 km to the south of Lima, along the desert coast of southern Peru. The city lies on the border of the famous Atacama Desert, which is again one of the driest places in the world. It observes an average precipitation of 2.29 mm per year. There is only around one inch rainfall throughout the year. The city’s climate is also said to have aided asthma patients and pre-Columbian mummies due to its dry weather conditions! like all other places on our list, Ica too draws huge revenue from tourism industry.
4. Luxor (Egypt)
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt. It is also the site of ancient city of Thebes. The city contributes largely to the country’s tourism revenue. The rainfall received is very rare. The city is said to receive between 0.0 and 6.0 mm of rain per month. The city’s average rainfall is 0.862 mm per year. it experiences extreme difference in temperature in day and night. Adhering to the growing tourist attraction, there are plans to convert the entire city to a vast open-air museum!
3. Aswan (Egypt)
Aswan is one of the driest regions of Egypt. In addition to that, it is the hottest city of Egypt. The climate is dry and hot. There is maybe 1 or 2 mm of rain every 5 years. The average annual rainfall is 0.861mm. Aswan is one of the driest inhabited places in the world; as of early 2001, the last rain there was seven years earlier. Despite of the unfavorable climatic conditions, the city remains to be a favourite tourist spot due to the presence of Nile nearby.
2. Atacama Desert (Chile)
The Atacama Desert is situated in South America. The plateau is debated to be one of the driest places in the world. It is said to not have received any significant rainfall from 16th century to 20th century. Some weather stations in Atacama have never received rain. The rainfall in the Chilean region of the Atacama Desert is 0.761mm per year. The region is so arid that the mountains are totally glacier-free. The cold water transported from Antarctica by Humboldt currents prevents the formation of large rain carrying clouds. This place is also termed as the “ideal location to forget that there is anything such as water on Earth”.
1. Dry Valleys (Antarctica)
Antarctica- the word itself has become synonymous with ice, glaciers and anything but dryness. Much to your surprise, Antarctica’s Dry Valleys are considered to be the driest place on the planet. These are the largest ice-free region of the continent. The place receives absolutely no rainfall and the climate is devoid of humidity at large. Due to the further presence of high mountains, the forthcoming ice is also blocked from the valleys. The valleys’ ecosystem is considered to be quite similar to that of the Red planet Mars. Ergo, the place has been a mind boggling mystery, waiting to be unraveled by scientists and explorers all over the globe.
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