Longest sustained dry period

According to the World Meteorological Organization, no precipitation fell in the city of Arica in northern Chile between October 1903 and January 1918 – a total period of 172 months, or 14.42 years.

Arica is generally considered the driest inhabited place in the world, having experienced the lowest average yearly precipitation over a 59-year period: 0.03 inches (0.76 millimetres).