15 Countries with the Worst, Harshest Weather in the World

If you are interested in learning about the harshest weather on Earth, check out our list of 15 countries with the worst, harshest weather in the world.

Well, to flag a country having the worst weather in the world it’s not an easy task. We are not talking about a particular region or even a particular season. Rather we are talking about a country overall. Some countries may have harsh weather during winter and quite pleasant weather during summer. So we have to approach the problem in a holistic fashion if we are to determine the country with worst weather in the world today. Weather is a very important factor if you love traveling. Even the best places may seem average if you get there during bad weather. Luckily, there are travel agencies and other sources where you can learn about weather conditions in places all over the world. You can also check out our article on cities with the best climate in the world year round as well as the list of cities with best climate in Europe to live if you are considering moving abroad. That way, even if you are just visiting any of these cities, you will not have to worry about the weather whatsoever.

Apart from the tourism aspect, weather also affects the lives of its citizens in many ways. Take the local economy for example. Bad weather definitely impacts on country’s communication and transportation systems. In some extreme cases, as you will learn farther down the list of countries with extreme weather, natural calamities are also quite prevalent. They not only cause damage to property but also take a toll on lives. If the country subjected to these harsh weather conditions is not prepared for it, then the situation becomes quite critical.

For our research, we sought help from various credible online sources, like USA Today, National Geographic, and German Watch. For any additional information, we also put Google’s trusty search engine through its paces. After we had the raw data, we had to rank the countries based on how bad the climate conditions are. Thankfully, German Watch had already conducted a study addressing what country has the most extreme weather titled Global Climate Risk Index 2018. In the report, you will see that the researchers have devised a method of ranking the countries with worst weather. It’s called CRI or Climate Risk Index. The CRI is based on loss of life, loss of property and loss of GDP percentage due to bad weather conditions. The lower the CRI the worst weather a country has according to the report. Therefore, we ranked the countries based on CRI. The lower the CRI score is, the higher a country has been placed on the list. Do keep in mind that the report is based on numbers collected from 1997 to 2016.

Without further ado, let’s get our list of 15 countries with the worst, harshest weather in the world started.

15. Cambodia

CRI Score: 38.00

We are starting off our list with Cambodia. This Southeast Asian nation is rife with meteorological activity. With a CRI score of 38.00, it is no wonder that Cambodia suffers from routine tropical storms and heavy monsoon rains culminating in heavy flooding. Couple that with less than desirable infrastructure and living conditions in rural areas, and you get the recipe for disaster. On average, for the last 10 years, 54 people have lost their lives due to harsh weather conditions in Cambodia.

14. Nepal

CRI Score: 29.50

Next up we have Nepal. Another Asian country to make it on the list and it certainly isn’t the last one either. Compared to our previous entry, Nepal sees a drop of about 10 points in CRI score which is rather significant. Over 200 people die to harsh weather conditions in Nepal from various natural calamities.

13. Bangladesh

CRI Score: 27.00

At number 13 we have Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Any large-scale natural calamities result in severe loss of life and damage to property due to the countries overpopulated cities and towns. In 2016 the average population density of Bangladesh was about 1,252 people per square kilometer of land area.

12. China

CRI Score: 23.83

China is one of the largest countries in the world and an emerging superpower. However, China does face the obstacle of harsh weather condition. China frequently suffers from flooding and various other natural calamities. The countries weather condition varies greatly from region to region since the country is so huge. In 2016, about 989 people lost their lives because of various natural calamities in China.

11. Dominican Republic

CRI Score: 23.33

The Dominican Republic is the first Caribbean nation to make it on the list. Well, Caribbean nations are basically countries made up of islands thus the sea is the biggest influence on the weather here. A CRI score of 23.33 means that Dominican republic does suffer from a lot of storms. Although on the surface the country may seem to have the perfect weather, the sea is unpredictable, to say the least.

10. The United States

CRI Score: 23.17

It is quite unfortunate, but at number 10 we have the United States of America. Well, we really do not have to tell you why that is. As a citizen of the United States, you are already aware how awful the weather conditions can get in certain locations in the US. And the loss of life and property is also rather severe.

9. Bolivia

CRI Score: 19.33

In Bolivia, some parts of the country may experience excessive rain and flood, while the other parts may experience drought. Weather conditions are quite extreme in this Latin American country. Although a loss of life is not that high in Bolivia due to harsh weather, the loss of property surely is high enough to put Bolivia within the top 10 countries with the worst, harshest weather in the world.

8. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

CRI Score: 19.00

The name of this country might strike you as odd, but this is how the country is referred to within the UN. With a CRI score 19.00, you can imagine the country has rather harsh weather conditions. Flooding, excessive rain are routine occurrences along with other natural disasters are often occurrences here. This is apparently the country with worst weather in Europe.

7. Chinese Taipei

CRI Score: 18.50

We are halfway through our list of countries with the worst, harshest weather in the world, and at number 7 we have Chinese Taipei. With a low CRI score of 18.50, you can imagine that at times weather conditions in the country can be rather tough.

6. India

CRI Score: 18.33

Within a very short time span, after it’s independence, India has achieved a great deal of success. India is also known as one of the biggest tourist spots in Asia. However, despite the amazing weather in most parts of the country, there are some places where life is quite difficult due to harsh weather conditions.

5. Vietnam

CRI Score: 15.33

At number 5 on our list of countries with the worst, harshest weather in the world we have Vietnam, a country that’s crisscrossed with rivers. Vietnam is prone to floods, typhoons, and storms all year round. Also due to the humidity, the summers can be quite harsh.

4. Sri Lanka

CRI Score: 11.50

Sri Lanka is another island nation to be featured in the list of countries with the worst, harshest weather in the world. The sea surrounds the country from pretty much all sides. What a raging sea could do to an island is common knowledge. No wonder Sri Lanka is in the top 4 on our list.

3. Fiji

CRI Score: 10.17

The third place in our list of countries with the worst, harshest weather in the world goes to Fiji with a CRI score of 10.17. Fiji is an archipelago made up of almost 300 islands located in the South Pacific. No wonder why Fiji made it so high on the list of countries with the worst weather in the world. During tourism season the weather remains pretty good, but nature does have its occasional bouts of anger and ravages the island nation routinely.

2. Zimbabwe

CRI Score: 7.33

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Unfortunately, the country is prone to heavy flooding. Couple that with a weak economy and corrupt government, and you have the perfect condition for unspeakable human suffering.

1. Haiti

CRI Score: 2.33

The top spot on the list goes to Haiti, with a CRI score of 2.33. This is as low as the CRI score goes. On average, 6 people per 100,000 inhabitants in Haiti die due to harsh weather conditions and natural calamities. That is a terrifying figure, to say the least. This is apparently the country with the worst weather ever recorded.

This wraps it up for our list of 15 countries with the worst, harshest weather in the world.