A specialist in nuclear warfare has disclosed the safest global locations to reside if a catastrophic event were to occur. Alarmingly, the expert suggests that a nuclear attack could obliterate 60% of the world's population within just 72 minutes.

Investigative journalist and author Annie Jacobsen has shed light on the potential aftermath of such an attack and which regions would be most shielded due to their geographical location. Last year, the 57-year-old shared her insights on Steven Bartlett's podcast, Diary Of A CEO, The Mirror reports.

She relayed information from Professor Brian Toon, a renowned authority on climate and atmospheric science, who informed her that New Zealand and Australia are the two nations globally that could withstand a nuclear war, thanks to their ability to "sustain agriculture."

Annie said: "Most of the world, certainly the mid-latitudes, would be covered in sheets of ice...places like Iowa and Ukraine would be just snow for 10 years. Agriculture would fail, and when agriculture fails, people just die."

She added: "On top of that, you have the radiation poisoning because the ozone layer will be so damaged and destroyed that you couldn't be outside in the sunlight - people will be forced to live underground fighting for food everywhere except in New Zealand and Australia."

The Politico columnist last year discussed the sobering realities of ballistic missile flight times and how little has changed since the Cold War.

She said: "It takes 26 minutes and 40 seconds for a ballistic missile to get from a launchpad in Russia to the East Coast of the United States. That was true in 1959-60 when [nuclear physicist and former Pentagon scientist] Herb York first had the analysis done, and it's true today."

She added: "Ballistic missile technology hasn't changed the laws of gravity. No matter what you do, that still is that window to launch to your target. Pyongyang is 33 minutes because it's a little bit different geographically."

Delving into the terrifying dynamics of nuclear warfare, the writer shared another harrowing detail regarding the President's reaction time in such scenarios.

Annie said: "Part of the terrifying truth about nuclear war, or if a nuclear exchange were to unfold, is the insane time clock that was put on everything from the moment nuclear launch is detected."

She continued, highlighting the urgency and gravity of such a moment.

She added: "And so is the fact that the president has only six minutes, that's the rough time to make this decision. And in that time, the 'Black Book' gets opened; he must make a choice from a counterattack list of choices inside the 'Black Book'."