What Was the Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded?

Global warming is seen as the major cause of rising temperatures around the world. The El Nino phenomenon is another factor that creates dry spells that increase air temperatures in many countries in the tropics. When measuring hottest temperatures, it is about air temperatures and not ground temperatures which are considerably higher. Air temps are measured about 1.5 meters above the ground. Many regions around the world have hot temperatures due to their geographical locations but even these hot locations get higher than normal hot temperatures occasionally. The hottest temperature ever recorded was a staggering 56.7 degrees Celsius in Death Valley, California in 1913. 

Hottest Recorded Temperatures on Earth

Heat waves are abnormal high temperatures that occur above average daytime temperatures or comfort criteria for that particular area. Heat waves are defined as lasting for at least a day to several weeks. Heat waves are created when high pressure forms at 10,000-25,000 feet altitude and grows stronger for several weeks especially during summer. After a time, the high pressure sinks to the surface trapping heat that otherwise would disperse. Heat starts accumulating that turns into a heat wave.

Extremely hot weather can cause heat edema, heat rash, dermatitis, bacterial infection, cramps, exhaustion, heat stroke, and heat syncope. As a result, many temperate countries put up public air-conditioned cooling centers. The list that follows mostly features tropical and hot region locations that ordinarily experience above average temperature range compared to temperate regions. The highest temperature of 56.7°C was recorded in California, US, on July 10, 1913. Death Valley National Park is a desert that attracts hikers and has a small Shoshone population. The second highest temperature was recorded at Kebili, Tunisia, which was 55.0°C recorded on July 07, 1931. Kebili is an oases town with about 62 thousand population. Third is at Tirat Zvi, Israel at 54.0°C recorded on June 21, 1942. The place is a religious kibbutz with about 654 people. It owns 18,000 date trees. The fourth is 53.6°C recorded on July 31, 2012, at Sulaibya, Kuwait. It is a small town that has two industrial areas. Fifth was at Mohenjo-Daro in Sindh, Pakistan with at 53.5°C on May 26, 2010. It is an archaeological site of the ancient Indus Valley civilization which was declared a UNESCO site in 1980. Next, are also high-temperature locations that experienced above 50°C temperatures. The Ali Air Base, Nasiriyah, Iraq at 53.0°C on August 03, 2011; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at 52.0°C on June 23, 2010; San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico at 52.0°C on July 06, 1966; Phalodi, Rajasthan, India at 51.0°C on May 19, 2016; and Oodnadatta, South Australia, Australia at 50.7°C on January 02, 1960.

The Influence Of Global Warming On Global Temperature

The past 50 years have witnessed the effects of global warming that has steadily increased global temperatures. This rise, in turn, has caused many marine organisms and animals to die and glaciers to disappear. These abnormal changes will cause severe weather disturbances and rising sea levels. Experts and scientists agree that temperatures could rise between 1.4 and 5.8 °C before the year 2100. Many temperate animals and plants may not be able to survive warmer temperatures. Rising sea levels will cause inundations of cities and human habitats which in turn will cause severe flooding and loss of crops that could lead to famines and mass destruction.