Sad news. New Hampshire's Mount Washington has officially lost its distinction as the site of the fastest wind gust ever recorded on Earth. On April 12, 1934, 231 mph winds graced the top of the mountain, the highest point in the Eastern United States. Before the Europeans arrived, Mount Washington was known as Agiocochook, or "home of the Great Spirit."Three days ago, the World Meteorological Organization posted a snippet on its website saying a panel of experts reviewing extreme weather and climate data turned up a 253 mph gust on Australia's Barrow Island during Cyclone Olivia in 1996."It's obviously a big disappointment. Having the world record for over six decades was such a part of the soul of this organization and for fans of Mount Washington around the country," said Scot Henley, the Mount Washington Observatory's executive director.Mount Washington still holds the record for the Northern and Western hemispheres. Although that doesn't sound nearly as cool as the title it lost, the "highest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth by means of an anemometer." (via)