The Hottest Places on Earth
Furnace Creek in Death Valley holds the highest reliably recorded air temperature, 56.7 °C in 1913.
Also known as: Highest recorded air temperatures
The highest reliably recorded air temperature is 56.7 °C, measured at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, in 1913 and recognised by the World Meteorological Organization.
What it is
The highest air temperature ever reliably recorded is 56.7 °C (134 °F), measured on 10 July 1913 at Furnace Creek (Greenland Ranch) in Death Valley, California, USA. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which arbitrates weather extremes, recognises this as the official record after disqualifying a higher 1922 reading claimed at El Azizia, Libya, on measurement grounds.
| Rank | Location | Country | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Furnace Creek, Death Valley | USA | 56.7 °C |
| 2 | Kebili | Tunisia | 55.0 °C |
| 3 | Tirat Zvi | Israel | 54.0 °C |
| 4 | Mitribah | Kuwait | 53.9 °C |
| 5 | Basra | Iraq | 53.9 °C |
These are shade air temperatures measured under standardised conditions. Ground surface temperatures, measured by satellite in deserts such as the Lut in Iran, have been recorded above 80 °C but are not comparable to standardised air-temperature records.
Related entries
Sources & further reading
- World: Highest Temperature — WMO Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes (article)