The weather we experience on Earth is driven by the interaction of solar energy, water, and a solid surface, but the dynamics of cosmic weather beyond our planet are dramatically different. Storms throughout the solar system are immense phenomena that demonstrate the raw power of atmospheric forces on a scale far exceeding terrestrial hurricanes or blizzards. When judging which planet is the most stormy, the definition of a “storm” must expand to include exotic phenomena that have no direct parallel to our familiar rain and wind.
Defining Planetary Storms
A planetary storm is generally defined by the presence of massive, long-lasting atmospheric vortices. These swirling systems are classified as cyclones, which rotate inward toward a low-pressure center, or anticyclones, which spin outward from a high-pressure center. The persistence of these storms is often determined by intense wind shear—the dramatic change in wind speed or direction over a short distance.
On gas giant planets, atmospheric chemistry, such as the presence of methane, ammonia, and water ice, contributes to the visible structure and energy of these immense systems. On rocky planets with thin atmospheres, storms take the form of vast dust devils and regional or global dust storms. The criteria for the “most stormy” planet balances the sheer frequency of these events with their individual size, power, and longevity.
The Planet with the Most Storms
The answer to which planet has the most storms is Jupiter, a world dominated by chaotic and relentless atmospheric turbulence. This gas giant hosts the largest and most persistent individual storm in the solar system, the Great Red Spot (GRS). This massive anticyclone is wider than the entire Earth and has been observed continuously for over 150 years, and possibly for more than 300 years.
The GRS maintains its colossal size and power because Jupiter has no solid surface to create friction and slow it down. Instead, the storm is trapped between two opposing jet streams that act like conveyor belts, constantly feeding it energy. Winds within the GRS reach speeds up to 640 kilometers per hour, nearly triple the speed of the fastest recorded hurricane on Earth.
Beyond the GRS, Jupiter’s atmosphere features hundreds of smaller vortices and rapidly moving atmospheric bands. The planet’s fast rotation, completing a day in under ten hours, creates strong east-west jet streams that separate the atmosphere into light-colored zones and dark-colored belts. The Juno spacecraft has also observed geometric arrangements of giant cyclones at the poles, with nine encircling the north pole and six surrounding the south pole. This constant barrage of powerful vortices makes Jupiter the undisputed champion of planetary weather.
Comparing Storms on Other Worlds
While Jupiter hosts the most storms, other planets feature unique and impressive atmospheric phenomena. Neptune is home to the fastest measured winds in the solar system, reaching speeds of up to 2,100 kilometers per hour around its dark vortices. The Great Dark Spot, an Earth-sized anticyclone first observed by Voyager 2, proved to be a powerful, dynamic storm that forms and dissipates over a few years, lacking the persistence seen in Jupiter’s GRS.
Saturn has two distinct types of powerful storms. Roughly once every 28.5 Earth years, the planet experiences massive, bright eruptions known as Great White Spots that can temporarily encircle the entire planet. More uniquely, its north pole hosts a stunning, stable jet stream in the shape of a hexagon, a six-sided weather pattern wider than two Earths. This geometric feature contains a central hurricane with an eye fifty times larger than a typical terrestrial one, with winds exceeding 480 kilometers per hour.
Mars, a terrestrial planet, is famous for its massive dust storms. Localized storms occur frequently, but roughly every three Martian years (about 5.5 Earth years), these can combine to form planet-encircling storms that engulf the entire world for months. These storms are driven by solar heating and consist of lofted dust. Despite the dramatic nature of these events, none of these other worlds exhibit the sheer volume, size, and extraordinary longevity of the constant vortex activity that defines Jupiter’s atmosphere.