He briefly acquired an English Electric Lightning F1A jet fighter XM172, which was installed in the front garden of his country home. The Lightning was subsequently removed on the orders of the local council, which "wouldn't believe my claim that it was a leaf blower", according to Clarkson on a Tiscali Motoring webchat. In fact, the whole affair was set up for his programme Speed, and the Lightning is now back serving as gate guardian at Wycombe Air Park(formerly RAF Booker).

I blogged nearly a year ago about a mysterious piece of weather trivia that came into my e-mail box via Chris Burt, Author of "Extreme Weather"... a wind gust of 408 km/h (253 mph)* was measured during Tropical Cyclone Olivia at Barrow Island, Australia in 1996. If certified by the World Meteorological Office, it would be a new record. The rumor was that they were looking into it. As of January 22nd, they have certified the reading and we have a new World Wind Speed Record! This takes the prize away from Mount Washington, NH (see links at right) who gusted to 231 mph in 1934.

WORLD WIND READINGS: (CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS)



318 MPH - Oklahoma City 1999 - Tornado, Above Ground, By Doppler Radar (ABOVE GROUND - NOT OFFICIAL)
253 MPH - Australia 1996 - Cyclone Olivia, On Ground, By Cup Anemometer (NEW OFFICIAL WORLD RECORD!)
236 MPH - Guam 1997 - Typhoon Paka, By Hot-Wire Anemometer (DISPUTED)
231 MPH - Winter Storm 1934 at Mount Washington, By Cup Anemometer (OLD OFFICIAL WORLD RECORD)
207 MPH - Winter Storm 1972 in Greenland (VERIFIED)
201 MPH - Winter Storm 1981 in Colorado (NOT VERIFIED)
200 MPH* - Winter Storm in North Carolina (DISPUTED)
200 MPH* - Winter Storm 1973 in New Hampshire, By Cup Anemometer (VERIFIED)
190 MPH - Tropical Storm 1966 in Miyakojima (NOT VERIFIED)
186 MPH - Massachusetts 1938 - Hurricane, On Ground (OFFICIAL LAND HURRICANE RECORD)


*Depends on which source you use. Although 408 km/h converted here = 254 mph, the AMS says 253 mph.

**Rounded up from 199.5 MPH