It has recently been announced that Australia now holds the world record for the strongest wind gust ever recorded on the Earth's surface. To be considered for this record, the gust must be recorded on the surface of the Earth by means of an anemometer. This record also excludes any gusts related to tornadoes. The previous record wind gust was recorded on Mount Washington in the United States back in April of 1934 when a wind gust of 372km/h tore over the summit. It was not until recently when the World Meteorological Organization conducted a review of global weather and climate extremes, that Australia was rightly named the world record holder. The new claim to fame for the country occurred on April 10, 1996 when Tropical Cyclone Olivia delivered a gust of 408km/h to Barrow Island, smashing the previous world record. Many may be wondering why it has taken 14 years to announce this record. It took a panel of experts and an extensive review of the instrumental and statistical data to come to the conclusion that the gust was indeed the new true record. For now, Australia has taken the title after the 62 year hold that the United States had on the record.