The Hottest Cities in the World
The standard conditions for measuring atmospheric temperature are usually positioned 4.92 ft above the ground and guarded against sunlight. The highest temperature registered as per these measures was 54 °C, on July 21, 2016, in Kuwait. Other than the confirmed record, there are reports of 56.7 °C recorded at the Furnace-Creek Ranch in Death Valley on July 10, 1913, which many experts refute as an erroneous measurement. The highest average monthly temperature ever recorded on earth was 41.8 °C which was experienced in Furnace-Creek in Death Valley in 1911. Some of the hottest cities per continent which experience high temperature especially during summertime include:
6. North America - Phoenix (34.9°C/94.8°F)
Phoenix is the most populous and the capital city of the State of Arizona. Phoenix city is known to many as the "Valley of the Sun" and is characterized by extremely high temperature. Phoenix has a unique sub-tropical desert climate which is common in the Sonoran Desert. Phoenix has long hotter summers and short warm winters. Phoenix experiences over 3,872 hours of extremely bright sun every year. The hottest months begin in June and end in September with eighteen of these days experiencing a temperature of over 43 °C. Unlike most of the desert cities which experience a drastic fluctuation between the night and day temperature, the diurnal temperature variation of Phoenix is limited by the urban-heat-island effect; the heat is stored in the pavements and building during the day and then released into the atmosphere at night.
5. Australia - Darwin (29.3°C/84.7°F)
Darwin is the capital and the largest city of the Northern Australian Territory. Darwin experiences a tropical savanna climate characterized by a dry and wet season which is prone to cyclone activities. The dry season begins in May and ends in September whereby the days are sunny with the afternoon humidity averaging at about 30%. During the one hundred and forty-seven dry days of the dry season of 2012, the city registered no precipitation. The city experiences an average temperature of 27.6 °C annually with the hottest month being November at 29.3 °C. The temperature in December right before the rainy season begins can go as high as 45 °C. Other than Perth, Darwin is the 2nd city in Australia which experiences over 8.4 hours of sunshine from April to November.
4. South America - Fortaleza (27.2°C/81°F)
Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara state, Brazil, was established on the Creek Pajeu banks. Fortaleza is an important Brazilian commercial and industrial center, and it controls about an eighth of the purchasing power of the country. The city has a standard tropical climate with tropical dry and wet climate. Fortaleza experiences relative humidity and high temperatures throughout the year. The hottest month in the town in November, with a high of 30.7 °C and a low temperature of 24.6 °C, plus an annual average temperature of 26.6 °C. Fortaleza registers some rain from January to July with a high relative humidity. The dry season in the city starts in August and ends in December.
3. Europe - Athens (28.7°C/83.7°F)
Athens is the largest and capital of Greece. Athens is one of the oldest cities on earth with a history from over 3,400 years ago. Athens experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. The most dominating characteristic of the climate is alternating between the prolonged mild-to-cool winters and hot-to-dry summer with moderate rain. Athens experiences an urban-heat-island effect caused by human beings in numerous regions. The urban-heat effect alters the temperature in the affected areas. The urban-heat-island is partially responsible for changing the time-series climatological temperature of multiple meteorological stations in Athens. The highest temperature ever recorded in Athens and Europe was 48 °C in July 1977. Athens registers an average temperature of 18.4 °C annually with the hottest month being July at 28.4 °C. The warm seasons begins in June and ends in August.
2. Asia - Ahvaz (37.3°C/99.1°F)
Ahvaz is the capital city of Khuzestan province which is located in the south-west of Iran. According to the 2011 census, Ahvaz had a population of over 1,112,021 Iranians. Ahvaz experiences a desert climate with scorching and long summer and short mild winters. With the highest consistent temperature of between 45 °C to 50 °C, Ahvaz is often the hottest city in the world during summer with numerous dust storms and sandstorms. The annual average temperature in the city is 25.4 °C with the hottest month being July at 37.3 °C. Ahvaz recorded the highest temperature of 54 °C which is the highest temperature in the world on June 29, 2017. The hottest months in the city starts in May and ends in September.
1. Africa - Lagos (33.2°C/91.8°F)
Lagos is the largest city in Africa and one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Lagos is the chief financial center of Africa and home to the busiest and largest ports in Africa. Lagos has tropical savanna climate with significant precipitation difference between the dry and wet season. Since the city is near the Equator, the temperature in Lagos is consistent throughout the year. The warmest month in the city is February averaging at 33.2 °C and the coolest is July averaging at 28.2 °C. The annual average temperature the city registers is 30.8 °C. The wettest month in the city is June while the driest is January.
