Tropical Cyclone Winston, which just hit Fiji, had the highest sustained wind speed ever seen in a tropical system in the southern hemisphere. Dr. Jeff Masters at WunderBlog: Winston's 185 mph Winds in Fiji: Southern Hemisphere's Strongest Storm on Record
Total global sea ice is, by all available measures, the smallest ever seen, apparently the result of more warm water available to melt the ice. Neven at Arctic Sea Ice Blog: Global sea ice extent record minimum
