This Month in Climate History: Earth’s Hottest Temperature | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) formerly known as National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) Home > News > This Month in Climate History: Earth’s Hottest Temperature This Month in Climate History: Earth’s Hottest Temperature Greenland Ranch Weather Station 1922 Credit: NOAA Ever since the Lost ‘49ers gave it its name back in 1849, Death Valley has been famous for being one of the hottest and driest places in North America. In fact, Death Valley holds the record for the world’s highest surface air temperature ever recorded—134°F recorded at Greenland Ranch July 10, 1913. While 134°F is definitely well-above Death Valley’s average summer temperatures, temperatures frequently reach or exceed 100°F from mid-May until early October. On July 5–14, 1913, Death Valley endured an intense stretch of hot weather. The high temperature reached 125°F or more every day, and that 10-day period still ranks as the longest consecutive stretch of temperatures that high on record in the valley.

The hottest days were from July 9 to the 13, when the high temperature reached as least 129°F each day, and on July 10 the temperature spiked to 134°F. Although Death Valley had been known for being an extremely hot place, this reading helped to solidify its reputation. On September 13, 1922, a temperature of 136°F was recorded at El Azizia, Libya. This was eventually certified by the World Meteorological Organization as the hottest air temperature ever recorded on Earth. However, additional evidence recently came to light indicating that the 136°F reading was invalid. On September 12, 2012, the World Meteorological Organization officially recertified the 134°F reading at Death Valley as the all-time highest surface air temperature recorded on the planet. So, why is Death Valley always so hot? Part of the reason is that the depth and shape of Death Valley influence its summer temperatures. The valley is a long, narrow basin 282 feet below sea level, yet is walled by high, steep mountain ranges. The clear, dry air and sparse plant cover allow sunlight to heat the desert surface.

The heat radiates back from the rocks and soil, and then becomes trapped in the valley’s depths. Summer nights provide little relief as overnight lows during the summer may only dip into the 85°F to 95°F range. Learn more about Death Valley’s World Record Temperature and the celebration of its 100th anniversary at . Highest recorded temperature | Guinness World Records Highest recorded temperature When 10 July 1913 On 13 September 2012 the World Meteorological Organisation disqualified the record for the highest recorded temperature, exactly 90 years after it had been established at El Azizia, Libya, with a measurement of 58°C. The official highest recorded temperature is now 56.7°C (134°F), which was measured on 10 July 1913 at Greenland Ranch, Death Valley, California, USA. *** As a result of an investigation in 2012, the WMO concluded that the El Azizia record measurement could be inaccurate by as much as 7°C due to a combination of factors including the asphalt-like surface over which the measurement was taken, which is not a fair representation of the native desert soil.

Randy Cerveny, a member of the WMO and professor of geography at Arizona State University, commented in 2012: "This investigation demonstrates that, because of continued improvements in meteorology and climatology, climate experts can now re-analyze past weather records in much more detail than ever before." He added: "We accept that Death Valley temperature extreme record. Obviously if any new materials on it surface, we will be prepared to open an investigation, but at this time all available evidence points to its legitimacy." The air temperature of the aptly named Furnace Creek in Death Valley reaches a staggering average daily high of 115°F. It gets even hotter on the ground: a measurement of 201°F was taken on July 15 1972 - just 11 degrees away from the boiling point of water. One of the reasons that Furnace Creek is so incredibly hot is because it is approximately 190 ft below the sea level, and air warms as it gets lower. In addition to this, there is less than three inches of rain in the desert valley each year. All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date.

For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search. (You will be need to register / login for access) Hottest air temperatures reported on Earth | Weather Extremes Hottest air temperatures reported on Earth By: Christopher C. Burt , 5:20 PM GMT on October 22, 2010 In my previous post , I questioned the validity of the hottest temperature measured on earth: the 58°C (136.4°F) reading from Al Azizia, Libya in September 1922. If, in fact, this record is not valid, then what might be the absolute maximum temperature measured on earth? There are just a handful of regions in the world that have the potential of recording temperatures of 130°F (54.5°C) or more (excluding heat burst measurements).

I list them here in no particular order: 1) Death Valley, California (see list below) and the Colorado Desert in the southern part of the state (where anecdotal temperatures as high as 130°F have been reported and temperatures as hot as 126°F (52.2°C) officially measured (at Thermal on July 28, 1995 and Mecca on June 26, 1990). Also, the Colorado River Valley from the southern tip of Nevada to the Gulf of California can be as hot or even hotter, with an official reading of 128°F (53.3°C) measured at Lake Havasu City, Arizona on June 29, 1994. 2) Possibly some portions of the western Sahara Desert, specifically the Tidikelt Depression in Algeria, and lowest areas of northern Mali and northeastern Mauritania. Unfortunately, there are no weather stations in these areas, the nearest being In Salah, Algeria and Araouane in Mali (see below). Figure 1. The World Survey of Climatology, Vol.

10: Climates of Africa reproduced this map of possible absolute extreme maximum temperatures, but it is based upon the dubious maximums recorded during the colonial era, and, in fact, no temperature above 124°F (52°C) has ever been recorded in the Sahara Desert in modern records. 3) The interior of southeastern Saudi Arabia in portions of the Rub Al Khali Desert and areas around the Persian Gulf. Again, unfortunately, there is no climate data from the Rub Al Khali Desert and it is simple speculation, given the topography and characteristics of the region, that temperatures as high as 55°C might be possible. The populated areas along and just inland along the shores of the Persian Gulf have measured official temperatures as high as 127°F (52.6°C) at Abdaly, Kuwait, and 126.5°F (52.5°C) at Hamidiyeh, Iran. Unofficial temperatures of 129°F (53.9°C) have been reported from this region as well. 4) The region along the lower Indus River of Pakistan centered around Jacobabad.

Temperatures as high as 128.3°F (53.5°C) have been measured here (Moen-jo-Daro on May 26, 2010) and 125° is reached almost every year during May in Jacobabad. We can speculate that at some point 130°F may be possible. 5) Other regions of potential (and recorded) extreme heat include the eastern part of the Dasht E Lut Desert in Iran (no records), the Dead Sea area of Israel, Palestine, and Jordan (where temperatures up to 126°F/52°C) have been recorded), and the central-western inland coastal region of Saudi Arabia (around Jeddah) where 126°F (52°C) has also been measured. Studies by geographer Mark Jefferson (1926) and by Hoffman (1963) conclude that the highest possible surface air temperature on earth (measured by standard modern instruments) would be in the range of 131-133°F (see Weather and Climate Extremes by Dr. Paul F. Krause and Kathleen L. Flood, U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Engineering Center paper TEC-0099, September 1997. So below is a list of all both 'measured' and 'anecdotal' absolute maximum temperatures on record above 129°F (54°C). The lists are not completely comprehensive so far as many European colonial measurements made in Africa prior to 1950 in places like Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Mali. Multiple readings of 54°-55°C were reported in these countries between 1900-1940. VALIDITY SCORE: I have rated all the below records on a score from 0-10: (0) Zero means completely unbelievable to (10), indisputable. 136.4° (58.0°C) Sept. 13, 1922 Al Azizia, Libya SOURCE: R. Ufficio Centrale di Meteorologia e Geodinamica; Osservazioni dell anno 1922 Rome, Italy NOTE: This site reported numerous 130°+ reading between 1920-1926.

NOTES: See detailed discussion of this event in my previous post. VALIDITY SCORE: 1 The evidence appears to be overwhelmingly against the validity of this measurement. 134.8° (57.1°C) July 12, 1936 Tindouf, Algeria SOURCE unknown, perhaps Service Meteorologique, Dakar NOTES: The hottest temperature measured at Tindouf in modern records is 118° (47.8°C) in July 1998. The older records (1925-1950) as reported in Tables of Temperature, Relative Humidity and Precipitation for the World, British Meteorological Office, 1967 show an absolute maximum of 122°F for Tindouf. A reading of 57.1°C was also reported from Ouargla, Algeria on Aug. 27, 1884. VALIDITY SCORE: 0 There is no way this site could have recorded such a temperature given its altitude near 2000..

134° (56.7°) July 10, 1913 Greenland Ranch, Death Valley, California, USA SOURCE Monthly Weather Review, June 1915, U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture NOTES: This site reported several other 130°F+ readings during this heat episode (130° on the 12th and 131° on the 13th) but never again after this July of 1913. Many in depth articles have been written about the validity of the measurement. See: Monthly Weather Review, June 1915 pp. 278-280 The Climate of Death Valley, by Steven Roof and Charlie Callagan, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, December 2003. Weatherwise magazine, Retrospect: July 10, 1913: Highest Temperature Ever Recorded in North America, by Sean Potter, July-August 2010 issue. Weatherwise magazine, 134°, by David Ludlum, June 1963 pp. 116-117 The record has been scrutinized perhaps more than any other in the United States.

I don't have much more to add to the debate aside from my belief it is most likely not a valid reading when one looks at all the evidence. Normally when Death Valley records its hottest temperatures they occur during region-wide heat waves. On July 10, 1913 the next highest temperatures recorded in southern California (aside from Greenland Ranch) were just 119° at Heber and 118° at Mammoth Tank. Figure 2. The instrument shelter at Greenland Ranch in 1926. (Photo from Bancroft Library Collection, Univ. of California, Berkeley). Figure 3. The COOP form for Greenland Ranch in August 1924 shows some very suspicious readings with 16 nights above 100° including a 12-day consecutive stretch of such, including two at 110°! The modern (post 1934) record for Death Valley has never had more than 3 consecutive nights above 100° and a hottest night-ever of 104° on July 23-24, 2003. VALIDITY SCORE: 5 This is a 50-50 proposition.

The record was probably in error but it is difficult to 'prove' so. But using the criteria of old versus modern records one can see a problem with the 1913 record. 133° (56.1°C) date unknown In Salah, Algeria SOURCE Extreme Weather; A Guide and Record Book by Christopher C. Burt NOTES: I can find no reference for this reading anywhere in old or modern records. My bad for reporting it in my book Extreme Weather. The highest temperature in the old records for In Salah (1925-1950) indicate an absolute maximum of 122° and in the modern records an absolute maximum of 50.6° (123.1°F) was measured on July 12, 2002. VALIDITY SCORE: 0 A mistake I made in my book. No temperature above 123.1°F has been officially recorded here. In fact, no temperature above 52°C has ever been recorded anywhere in the Sahara Desert in modern records.

131° (55.0°C) June (sometime between 1924-1942) Ghadames, Libya SOURCE Libyan National Meteorological Centre NOTES: Errors in keying in data for all of the 50°C+ recordings at Ghadames have been uncovered by the Libyan National Meteorological Center. For instance, a report of 54.2°C in June 1975 was actually 45.2°C and a 54.0°C reading in May 1969 was actually 45.0°C. Data for Ghadames prior to 1955 is considered unreliable because instrument exposure issues. The highest reliable temperature measured at Ghadames is 48.4°C (119.1°F) in July 1977. VALIDITY SCORE: 1 Ghadames is not a particularly hot location in spite of old colonial temperature data. It has a good long record and the hottest modern (post 1960) temperature using good instruments has been just 119°F (48.3°C).

131° (55.0°C) date unknown Ben Gardene, Tunisia SOURCE: World Survey of Climatology: Vol.10, Climates of Africa, p.42 NOTES: This site is on the Gefara Plain along the Mediterranean Sea as is Al Azizia, Libya and subject to the Ghibili (foehn-like) wind phenomena. However, no modern temperature above 124°F (52°C) has yet be measured here. VALIDITY SCORE: 2 The older recordings by colonial stations used thermometers and shelters that probably cannot be accepted today. Furthermore, the modern records from this site do not support the possibility of such a high reading. See note below for Kibili. 131° (55.0°C) July 7, 1931 Kebili, Tunisia SOURCE Service Meteorologique, Tunis NOTES: There is a disconnect between many of the old (pre 1950) French and Italian colonial temperature records from many African weather stations versus the modern records at these same sites. Kebili is one of those. Between 1920-1933 Kebili reported 50-55°C maximum temperatures almost every summer.

But since 2000 its absolute maximum has been only 48.5°C. VALIDITY SCORE: 2 The older recordings by colonial stations involved thermometers and shelters that probably cannot be accepted today. Further more, the modern records from this site do not support the possibility of such a high reading. However, this particular site has a fractured history so far as its climate record is concerned and is subject to unusual heat waves thanks to the Sirocco wind events. A brief period of modern records from 2000-2010 has a 48.5°C (119.3°F) reading on July 26, 2005. But this is a long way from 55°C (131°F) measured during the 1920-1935 period of record). 130° (54.4°) Aug. 17, 1885 Amos (Mammoth Tank), California, USA SOURCE: Climatology of California, U.S. Dept.

Of Agriculture Bulletin L, 1903 NOTES: the Southern Pacific Railroad maintained several weather stations in the Colorado Desert region of southern California during the 19th century as watering stations for trains using their lines. It is likely that the thermometers and shelters and, most importantly, exposure location of these, was not up to official standards. Mammoth Tank, recorded 128°-130°F every summer between 1883 and 1887. After 1887 it would appear that there was some change in the instruments or shelter exposure since no temperature higher than 122° was reported (from 1887-1903). The old sites of Volcano Springs and Salton (now submerged under the waters of the Salton Sea) once reported temperatures of 129° (June 23, 1902) and 128° respectively. VALIDITY SCORE: 2 Instruments were most likely overexposed.

130° (54.4°C) June (sometime between 1931-1940) Araouane, Mali SOURCE: Service Meteorologique, Dakar NOTES: Timbuktu has also supposedly recorded 130°F in the past (its modern record is 118° (47.8°C in May 1958). Once again, however, there is a disconnect between the colonial era temperature measurements and the modern-era ones (see Kibili, Tunisia note above). There is no weather station in Araouane now, but the hottest modern and reliable temperature in Mali is 48.2°C (119°F) at Gao in May 1988. VALIDITY SCORE: 2 The older recordings by colonial stations involved thermometers and shelters that probably cannot be accepted today. 129.2° (54.0°C) June 21, 1942 Tirat Zvi, Israel SOURCE: Bio-Climatic Atlas of Israel by Dr. D. Ashbel, Central Press, Jerusalem, 1950, p.125 NOTES: This is the most obvious error of all.

The thermograph trace recording this temperature obviously peaked at 53°C (127.4°C) not 54°C (and two other nearby stations recorded only 52°C/126°F). But somebody wrote on it (with an arrow pointing at the peak, '54°'. They misread the thermograph as anyone can see on close examination. It is interesting that no one seems to have ever noticed this mistake before weather historian Howard Rainford pointed this out last summer; this has been widely accepted as the hottest temperature ever measured in Asia: Figure 4. The thermograph trace recording the June 21, 1942 temperature at Tirat Zvi, Israel, shows that the temperature obviously peaked at 53°C (127.4°C) not 54°C. But somebody wrote on it (with an arrow pointing at the peak, '54°'. They misread the thermograph as anyone can see on close examination. Image credit: Bio-Climatic Atlas of Israel by Dr. D. Ashbel, Central Press, Jerusalem, 1950, p.125. VALIDITY SCORE: 0 This was a very obvious error.

Probable maximum temperature between 52-53°C (as recorded at two other sites nearby). 129° (53.9°C) July 7, 2007, July 20, 2005, and July 18, 1998 Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California, USA and also at Greenland Ranch, Death Valley on July 20, 1960 SOURCE: United States Weather Bureau (USWB) NOTES: These readings are the highest reliably (and undisputed) temperatures yet recorded in the world. VALIDITY SCORE: 10 These are measurements made under standard conditions using modern shelters and instruments. ANECDOTAL TEMPERATURE REPORTS 188° (86.7°C) June or July, 1967 Abadan, Iran (heat burst) SOURCE: News clip, no further info available. See Extreme Weather; A Guide and Record Book, by Christopher C. Burt, 2007, for more information on this event. NOTES: This surely is an apocryphal record.

The highest official temperature during the months of June or July 1967 at Abadan was 48.9°C (120°F) on July 15. Not an unusual temperature for this area at this time of the year. VALIDITY SCORE: 0 Let.s think a moment just what kind of thermometer could have registered 188°F. An oven thermometer? 158° (70.0°C) July 6, 1949 near Lisbon, Portugal (heat burst) SOURCE: News clip, no further info available. See Extreme Weather; A Guide and Record Book, by Christopher C. Burt, 2007, and Freaks of the Storm, by Randy Cerveny for more information on this event. NOTES: The news reports of this event at the time claim this reading was made in the sun not shade. So it cannot be considered a reliable figure. VALIDITY SCORE: 1 Well something amazing happened here this day but, again, just what kind of thermometer registers up to 158°F?

152° (66.7°C) July 10, 1977 Antalya, Turkey (heat burst) SOURCE: News clip, no further info available. See Extreme Weather; A Guide and Record Book, by Christopher C. Burt, 2007, for more information on this event. NOTES: The official maximum temperature at Antalya on July 10, 1977 was 43°C/109.4°F (and for that month 44°C/111.2°F on July 16). There is no reliable record concerning this 152° figure. VALIDITY SCORE: 0 No evidence physical or otherwise about this event. 140° (60.0°C) June 15, 1960 Kopperl, Texas, USA (heat burst) SOURCE: Tornadoes, Dark Days, Anomalous Precipitation and Related Weather Phenomena, William Corliss, Catalog of Geophysical Anomalies, 1983. See Extreme Weather; A Guide and Record Book, by Christopher C.

Burt, and Freaks of the Storm, by Randy Cerveny, for more information on this event. NOTES: a thermometer outside Kopperl's Bait and Tackle Shop reportedly measured this temperature around midnight following the collapse of nearby thunderstorms. The reliability of the thermometer in question is not known however very few common thermometers are capable of registering a temperature of 140°F. VALIDITY SCORE: 4 Physical evidence (burnt crops) indicates an amazing heat burst occurred here, but the only thermometer to register it is in question. 140° (60.0°C) August, 1953 Delta, Baja, Mexico SOURCE: Weather and Climate Extremes, Krause and Flood, US Army Corps of Engineers Technical paper TEC-0099, 1997 NOTES: The thermometer used for this reading was considered badly overexposed and this record is invalid. VALIDITY SCORE: 2 We know it was a hot day and this region could perhaps record some incredible temperature. But 140°F?

140° (60.0°C) date unknown Riito, Sonora, Mexico SOURCE: Weather and Climate Extremes, Krause and Flood, US Army Corps of Engineers Technical paper TEC-0099, 1997 NOTES: The thermometer used for this reading was considered badly overexposed and this record is invalid. VALIDITY SCORE: 2 We know it was a hot day and this region could perhaps record some incredible temperature. But 140°F? 136.4° (58.0°C) Aug. 11, 1933 San Luis, Baja, Mexico SOURCE: World Almanac 1980 NOTES: The thermometer used for this reading was considered badly overexposed and this record is invalid. VALIDITY SCORE: 2 We know it was a hot day and this region could perhaps record some incredible temperature. 136° (57.8°C) July 11, 1909 Cherokee, Oklahoma, USA SOURCE: Monthly Weather Review, USWB, July 1909 p.

337 NOTES: No information is known about the thermometer used for this reading and the temperature is therefore dismissed in the Monthly Weather Review mention of the event. VALIDITY SCORE: 3 Physical evidence (burnt crops) indicates something amazing happened here that night, but the thermometer validity is a big question mark. 135° (57.2°C) July, 1989 Al-Amarha, Iraq SOURCE: News clip (undetermined) NOTES: The official maximum temperature measured at Al-Amarha for the month of July 1989 is only 49°C (120.2°F) on July 24. The 135°F reading is obviously a press exaggeration or was made in the sun. VALIDITY SCORE: 0 Just a press exaggeration. No evidence whatsoever to support this. 133° (56.1°C) June 17, 1859 Santa Barbara, California, USA SOURCE: The Coast Pilot of California, 1859 NOTES: There is no record of who made this measurement or exactly where it was made in Santa Barbara. Some later sources say it was made on a U.S.

coastal geo-survey vessel. IF that is the case then the temperature is not possible since the waters off Santa Barbara in June are never warmer than about 70°F and any wind blowing over the ocean would have its temperature modified by the cool water no matter how hot the air. VALIDITY SCORE: 1 This report is singular and there is physical evidence (burnt crops and dead animals) that something amazing happened here this day, but the temperature record is impossible to validate. 131° (55.0°C) Jan. 21, 1845 Interior of New South Wales, Australia SOURCE: Monthly Weather Review, USWB, May 1930 p. 208 NOTES: This temperature is mentioned in passing as part of a discussion concerning hottest recorded temperatures from around the world. There is no further information known. VALIDITY SCORE: 0 Old record and impossible to validate. CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING ANECDOTAL RECORD TEMPERATURE REPORTS: None of the above observations have ever been corroborated by other figures and are mostly the result of unofficial estimates or measurements made during heat bursts.

They are all suspicious for one reason or another and cannot be taken too seriously and certainly not accepted as valid measurements. CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING MEASURED RECORD TEMPERATURE REPORTS: It would appear Death Valley, California holds the best authenticated value of 129°F and also the 2nd best 'possibly authentic' reading with the 134°F in 1913. I would propose that the hottest reliable, undisputed temperatures yet measured on earth are the 129°F (53.9°C) readings on four different occasions in Death Valley, California. I think it also worth emphasizing the problems of the disconnect between old temperature data and modern temperature data from Africa (and elsewhere around the world). This makes it difficult to include anywhere on the continent of Africa among the 'possibly hottest' places on earth. There can only be two explanations for this; 1) The climate has become much cooler over the past 50 years in northern Africa, or, 2) The instruments and their shelters/locations during the first half of the 20th century were not as accurate as those used during the last half of the century.

At least now we have the ability to double check suspicious data since it comes to us in real-time. Unfortunately, the old errors are harder to fix. Kudos: to Maximiliano Herrera (who doesn't necessarily agree with what I have written above but nonetheless provided many useful facts and temperature data), and Howard Rainford. References: Too many to list. Please contact me for any specific references you would like to know. Christopher C. Burt Weather - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Weather Weather Death Valley is famous as the hottest place on earth and driest place in North America. The world record highest air temperature of 134°F (57°C) was recorded at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. Summer temperatures often top 120°F (49°C) in the shade with overnight lows dipping into the 90s°F (mid-30s°C.) Average rainfall is less than 2 inches (5 cm), a fraction of what most deserts receive. Occasional thunderstorms, especially in late summer, can cause flash floods. In contrast to the extremes of summertime, winter and spring are very pleasant.

Winter daytime temperatures are mild in the low elevations, with cool nights that only occasionally reach freezing. Higher elevations are cooler than the low valley. Temperatures drop 3 to 5°F (2 to 3°C) with every thousand vertical feet (approx. 300m). Sunny skies are the norm in Death Valley, but winter storms and summer monsoons can bring cloud cover and rain. Wind is common in the desert, especially in the spring. Dust storms can suddenly blow up with approaching cold fronts. NOAA Death Valley Weather & Climate page includes current conditions, forecasts, and weather radar images. Why is Death Valley's climate so extreme? Why so Dry? Winter storms moving inland from the Pacific Ocean must pass over mountain ranges to continue east. As the clouds rise up they cool and the moisture condenses to fall as rain or snow on the western side of the ranges. By the time the clouds reach the mountain's east side they no longer have as much available moisture, creating a dry "rainshadow". Four major mountain ranges lie between Death Valley and the ocean, each one adding to an increasingly drier rainshadow effect. Why so Hot? The depth and shape of Death Valley influence its summer temperatures.

The valley is a long, narrow basin 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, yet is walled by high, steep mountain ranges. The clear, dry air and sparse plant cover allow sunlight to heat the desert surface. Heat radiates back from the rocks and soil, then becomes trapped in the valley's depths. Summer nights provide little relief as overnight lows may only dip into the 85°F to 95°F (30°C to 35°C) range. Heated air rises, yet is trapped by the high valley walls, is cooled and recycled back down to the valley floor. These pockets of descending air are only slightly cooler than the surrounding hot air. As they descend, they are compressed and heated even more by the low elevation air pressure. These moving masses of super heated air blow through the valley creating extreme high temperatures. How extreme is Death Valley's weather? Record Temperatures The hottest air temperature ever recorded in Death Valley (Furnace Creek) was 134°F (57°C) on July 10, 1913. During the heat wave that peaked with that record, five consecutive days reached 129° F (54°C) or above.

Death Valley holds the record for the hottest place on earth. Oddly enough, 1913 was also the year that saw Death Valley's coldest temperature. On January 8, the temperature dropped to 15°F (-10°C) at Furnace Creek. Longest summers The greatest number of consecutive days with a maximum temperature of 100° F or above was 154 days in the summer of 2001. The summer of 1996 had 40 days over 120° F, and 105 days over 110° F. The summer of 1917 had 43 consecutive days with a high temperature of 120° F or above. Highest ground temperatures The highest ground temperature recorded was 201° F at Furnace Creek on July 15, 1972. The maximum air temperature for that day was 128° F. Dry as a bone No rain was recorded in the years of 1929 and 1953.

The driest stretch on record was only 0.64 inches (1.6cm) of rain over a 40-month period in 1931 to 1934. Weather data was compiled from park and National Weather Service record summaries for the years 1911 through 2007 for Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California. What's the Highest Temperature Ever Recorded in the U.S.? What's the Highest Temperature Ever Recorded in the U.S.? By Andrea Thompson | July 8, 2011 11:52am ET MORE Death Valley, California. Credit: dreamstime This summer has been a scorcher in many parts of the nation, but this sweat-inducing heat has nothing on the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States, the whopping 134 degrees Fahrenheit that sent the mercury soaring in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. Death Valley , as its name suggests, is famous as the hottest, driest, lowest place in North America. Average highs in the summer months in these barren salt flats regularly hit above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

The greatest number of consecutive days with a maximum temperature of 100 F or above was 154 days in the summer of 2001, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The summer of 1996 had 40 days over 120 F, and 105 days over 110 F, making it the hottest summer on record. The valley's low elevation at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level and its long, narrow shape help influence its scorching summer temperatures. Dry, cloudless air and sparse vegetation allow the sun to seriously heat up the valley floor. The heat that comes off the rocks and dirt is then driven back down by the high walls of the valley. As it descends, this only-slightly-cooler air heats up again. This super-heated air blows through the valley, fueling the extreme temperatures , according to the USGS. In 1911, the first permanent weather station was established at what is now Furnace Creek Ranch.

On July 10, 1913, the weather station measured a record high of 134 F (57 C), a temperature that has not been beat anywhere in the United States since. [Related: The Harshest Environments on Earth ] That temperature has, however, been beat elsewhere in the world. On Sept. 13, 1922, an astoundingly high temperature of 136 F (58 C) was recorded in El Azizia, Libya (also spelled Al 'Aziziyah). This record remains controversial, though. This temperature was considerably higher than in nearby towns, as was noticed by meteorologists several years later, according to Weather Underground's Wunder Blog . One problem with the reading was that the thermometer was "self-registering," implying that no human confirmed the temperature reading. Another was that the thermometer was placed very close to the surface, which was covered with tarred concrete, which could have absorbed the sun's rays and artificially inflated the temperature reading. The World Meteorological Organization notes the work of Italian scientists who calculated that the temperature probably should have been 132.8 F (56 C).

If this were the case, the Death Valley temperature would be the highest ever recorded. Death Valley Temperature Record Is Restored - The New York Times The New York Times Environment |A Record Worth Wilting For: Death Valley Is Hotter Than ... Search Continue reading the main story Photo A 134-degree reading registered on July 10, 1913, at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, Calif., is now the official world record. Credit Eric Thayer for The New York Times FURNACE CREEK, Calif. — For Death Valley, a place that embraces its extremes, this has long been an affront: As furnace-hot as it gets here, it could not lay claim to being the hottest place on earth. That honor, as it were, has gone since 1922 to a city on the northwestern tip of Libya. Until now. After a yearlong investigation by a team of climate scientists, the World Meteorological Organization, the climate agency of the United Nations, announced this fall that it was throwing out a reading of 136.4 degrees claimed by the city of Al Aziziyah on Sept. 13, 1922.

It made official what anyone who has soldiered through a Death Valley summer afternoon here could attest to. There is no place hotter in the world. A 134-degree reading registered on July 10, 1913, at Greenland Ranch here is now the official world record. And while people were not quite jumping up and down at the honor, the 134-degree reading has inspired the kind of civic pride that for most communities might come with having a winning Little League baseball team. “For those of us who survive here in the summer, it was no surprise that it’s the hottest place on the world,” said Charlie Callaghan, a Death Valley National Park ranger who personally recorded a 129-degree day here a few years back. Continue reading the main story The opening wall panel in a new exhibition at the National Park Service visitor center off Highway 190 has been unveiled with a burst of superlatives : “Hottest. Driest.

Lowest.” (Lowest refers to a spot in Death Valley, Badwater Basin, which at 282 feet below sea level is the lowest place in North America.) Advertisement Continue reading the main story Promotional leaflets that still boast of Death Valley as being merely the hottest place in the United States are being rewritten, and resort owners say they are girding for a crush of heat-seeking visitors come next summer. There is even talk of having an official 100-year celebration of the record-setting measurement next July. “It’s about time for science, but I think we all knew it was coming,” said Randy Banis, the editor of DeathValley.com , an online newsletter promoting the valley. “You don’t underestimate Death Valley. Most of us enthusiasts are proud that the extremes that we have known about at Death Valley are indeed the most harsh on earth.” Photo A walk in Death Valley, Calif., on Thursday. Credit Eric Thayer for The New York Times Still, the designation was a momentous event among this nation’s community of climatologists — or, as some of them proudly refer to themselves, “weather geeks” — the climax of a long debate set off by a blog item written by Christopher C.

Burt, a meteorologist with Weather Underground. Mr. Burt cited numerous reasons to be suspicious of the Libyan claim, which he described in an interview the other day as “completely garbage.” “The more we looked at it, the more obvious it appeared to be an error,” he said. Mr. Burt brought his blog post to the attention of members of the World Meteorological Organization. Randall S. Cerveny, a geography professor at Arizona State University who holds the title rapporteur of climate extremes for the World Climate Organization, appointed a committee of 13 climatologists, including himself and Mr. Burt, to resolve what can often be tricky disputes. “There are a lot of places that do like these records,” he said. “It can be a source of pride for that country or a source of contention for other countries. Politics unfortunately is going to play a role sometime in the determining of these records.” It took a year to investigate the claim — the inquiry was hampered by the revolution in Libya, which resulted in the temporary disappearance of a Libyan scientist who was central to the work.

The final report found five reasons to disqualify the Libya claim, including questionable instruments, an inexperienced observer who made the reading and the fact that the reading was anomalous for that region and in the context of other temperatures reported in Libya that day. “The W.M.O. assessment is that the highest recorded surface temperature of 56.7 degrees C (134 degrees F) was measured on 10 July 1913” in Death Valley, the report said. The announcement was made on Sept. 11, the same day as the attack on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, and thus drew little notice. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Though it is easy to forget on days when it is so hot that people dare not step out of their cars, part of the allure of Death Valley has always been — besides the staggering beauty of its canyons, mountains and sunsets — the sheer challenge of visiting it. “I think there might be such a thing as a weather tourist,” Mr. Burt said.

“I may be one.” Ben Cassell, who runs the Panamint Springs Resort on the west side of Death Valley, said that even before the long-awaited official recognition, his summer rooms typically were booked up by the spring, mainly by Europeans seeking temperatures they cannot find back home. Photo A thermometer at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center at Death Valley National Park in July 2010 read close to 120 degrees. Credit Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images “The Europeans love to visit in the summer when it is the hottest,” he said. “The Americans tend to go in the spring for the flowers.” The European tourists, he said, “definitely are looking for the extreme.” “We get people who get upset that today it’s 120, and the day before they got here it was 121,” he said. “They want to have bragging rights.” Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy Mr. Callaghan, who would know, said there most certainly was a difference between 115 degrees and, say, 125 degrees.

“You kind of get used to the 115s, the 120s,” he said. “Once it gets above 120, 125, it’s just downright miserable. It’s just so excruciatingly hot. You don’t walk outside your air-conditioned car or your office. You don’t want to have jewelry on because you feel the burning on the ears. Your eyes, your eyebrows, feel real hot.” Truth be told, it was hard to think of Death Valley in all its hot glory on a visit the weekend before Christmas. The thermometer outside the Ranch at Furnace Creek — which measures up to 140 — read a chilly 55 degrees. People could be seen on canyon hiking trails clothed in scarfs and parkas. “There’s no normal or abnormal,” said Bob Greenberg, a ranger on duty. “But if it gets anywhere near freezing, you hear a lot of whining around here.” For what it is worth, Mr. Burt said he had issues as well with the Death Valley claim of 134 degrees, and suspects it may be wrong. “It’s anomalous, even for Death Valley,” he said. But no matter.

Even if 134-Death Valley goes the way of 136.4-Libya, the temperature has most assuredly reached 129 degrees here in Furnace Creek at least three times, one of them recorded by Mr. Callaghan. And 129 is just as much a world record as 134. Advertisement “Death Valley would still win, so to speak, even if the 134 was erroneous,” Mr. Burt said. Correction: January 3, 2013 A earlier version of this article misidentified the academic field of Dr. Randall Cerveny, a member of the panel. He is a professor of geography — not geology — at Arizona State University. A version of this article appears in print on December 29, 2012, on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: A Record Worth Wilting For: Death Valley Hotter Than ...

Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe New World's Hottest Temperature Declared New World's Hottest Temperature Declared By Live Science Staff | September 13, 2012 09:49am ET MORE This is a drawing of the Six-Bellini thermometer, the antiquated type used to make the observation of the former world's hottest temperature in El Azizia, Libya. Credit: Image supplied by Paolo Brenni, President of the Scientific Instrument Commission, and courtesy of Library of the Observatorio Astronomico Di Palermo, Gisuseppe S. Vaiana. El Azizia, Libya, no longer holds the title for "world's hottest temperature." Today, that record passes to Death Valley, Calif. No, a heat wave didn't pass through the notoriously baking area yesterday. The new record-setting temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.7 degrees Celsius) was actually recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913.

The temperature is only now being recognized because the previous record high temperature of 136.4 F (58 C) in El Azizia has been overturned by the World Meteorological Organization after an in-depth investigation by a team of meteorologists. The record temperature had long been thought dubious, but this new study has finally made the persuading case to overturn it, 90 years to the day after it was made. A measurement in doubt The Libyan temperature had been recorded on Sept. 13, 1922, at an Italian army base. It had long stood out as an oddity, even though Libya certainly sees hot temperatures: El Azizia is located about 35 miles southwest of Tripoli, which lies on the Mediterranean coast. The waters would have a tempering influence on temperatures in the area, all of which weren't nearly as high as the record temperature. "When we compared his [the thermometer reader's] observations to surrounding areas and to other measurements made before and after the 1922 reading, they simply didn't match up," said team member Randy Cerveny, of Arizona State University, in a statement.

Cerveny and the other members of the international team dug through historical records to evaluate the plausibility of the temperature. The team was able to find and locate the original log book in which the temperature was recorded. From it and other sources they were able to identify five major problems with the record temperature: it was made a new and untrained observer; it was measured with an instrument that was antiquated even at that time; the observation site wasn't representative of its surroundings; it didn't match other temperatures measured in the area; and it didn't match later temperatures taken at the site. "We found systematic errors in the 1922 reading," said Cerveny, who also is the Rapporteur of Climate and Weather Extremes for the WMO, the person responsible for keeping worldwide weather records . Essentially, the case likely boiled down to someone inexperienced incorrectly reading a thermometer that could easily be misread, the team concluded. The resulting reading was too high by 12.6 F (7 C), they found.

Not just for bragging Officially, the "new" world record temperature extreme is 134 F (56.7 C), recorded on July 10, 1913, at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, Calif. [ Hell on Earth: Tour Death Valley ] Of course, the record isn't just good for bragging rights. It also helps communities that experience extreme temperatures to properly plan and build for such extremes. Accurate measurements of past temperatures also help scientists better understand the Earth's climate and weather. "The end result is an even better set of data for analysis of important global and regional questions involving climate change," Cerveny said. This story was provided by OurAmazingPlanet , a sister site to LiveScience. Editor's Recommendations Hottest Temperature on Earth - The Physics Factbook Hottest Temperature on Earth Standardized Result On 13 September 1922, a temperature of 58 °C (136.4 °F) was purportedly recorded at El Azizia (approximately 40 kilometers south-southwest of Tripoli) in what is now modern-day Libya….

[T]he WMO World Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes has rejected this temperature extreme of 58 °C as the highest temperature officially recorded on the planet. The WMO assessment is that the highest recorded surface temperature of 56.7 °C (134 °F) was measured on 10 July 1913 at 46 Greenland Ranch (Death Valley) CA USA. Khalid Ibrahim El Fadli, et al. World Meteorological Organization Assessment of the Purported World Record 58 °C Temperature Extreme at El Azizia, Libya (13 September 1922) . Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. "Early Online Release" accessed 2013/01/06. 56.7 °C Result Guinness Book of World Records. 1999: 250. "Between 1960 and 1966, the highest average annual mean temperature in Dallol, Ethiopia was recorded at 94 °F" 34.4 °C "Highest average annual mean temperature (world): Dallol, Ethiopia (Oct. 1960-Dec.

1966), 94 °F (35 °C). (US): Key West, Fla. (30-year normal), 78.2 °F (25.7 °C)." 35 °C "Hottest summer average in Western Hemisphere (US): Death Valley, Calif., 98 °F (36.7 °C)." 36.7 °C (US) "Longest hot spell (world): Marble Bar, W. Australia, 100 °F (38 °C) (or above) for 162 consecutive days, Oct. 30, 1923 to Apr.

7, 1924." 38 °C "Greenland Ranch, California, with 134 °F on July 10, 1913, holds the record for the highest temperature ever officially observed in the United States." 56.7 °C "The highest annual normal (1941–1970 mean) temperature in the United States, 78.2 °F, and the highest summer (June-August) normal temperature, 92.8 °F, are for Death Valley, California." 25.7 °C "The highest winter (December–February) normal temperature is 72.8° F for Honolulu, Hawaii." 22.7 °C Weather World Extremes . Weather World. Penn State University. "Hottest [Temperature] 110F (Mar 23) Kayes, Mali (14N/11W) 109F (Mar 27) Birao, Central African Rep.

(10N/23E)" 42.8–43.3 °C The temperature of an area depends on the strength of the sun's rays, which is determined by the angle at which the rays hit the earth. The earth's temperature is hotter at the equator and colder at the poles because of the difference in the angle of the sun's rays. Since the earth is round, the sun's rays hit different areas at different angles; the higher the latitude the more slanted are the sun's rays. In tropical or lower latitude areas the sun stays more or less overhead throughout the year. Since direct rays provide more heat than rays at an angle, the tropics receive the most heat and have the warmest average temperatures. Libya is the fourth largest state in Africa and is located close to the equator. Libya consists almost entirely of hot, arid desert. Due to its lack of natural barriers, Libya's climate is greatly influenced by the desert to the south and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. In Tripoli, average highs are 30 °C in summer andaverage lows are 8 °C in winter [see editor's note below].

A scorching wind called the "ghibli"(a hot, very dry, sand laden wind) can raise the temperatures in a matter of hours to between 40 °C and 50 °C. The hottest recorded temperature ever on earth was in Libya on September 13, 1922, which was 58 °C. Libya, Algeria, Death Valley and Iraq have some of the hottest temperatures on earth. During the summer, they have some of the hottest weather in the world. In contrast with these hot countries, the highest recorded temperature ever in the South Pole was on December 27, 1978, which was -14 °C. Despite the highest recorded weather extremes being in Libya, Algeria, Death Valley, and Iraq, the highest average annual mean world temperature was in Dallol, Ethiopia from October 1960 to December 1966, which was 35 °C. Table 1 "The Natural World." Guinness Book of World Records. Guinness, 1999: 250.

"Temperatures of over 120 °F were recorded in Death Valley, California on 43 consecutive days." > 48 °C The hottest temperature in the United States ever recorded most likely occurred in Death Valley, California during 43 consecutive days between July 6 and August 17, 1917. During those days, the temperature was over 48 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit). The national weather service recorded 56.7 °C (134 °F). The date reported there was July 10, 1913. The temperature of a certain area depends upon a set of conditions that are called climate controls. these controls include latitude, altitude, topography, distance from large bodies of water, and nearby ocean currents. All these factors added up together created the circumstance to reach such a high temperature. Death Valley lies mostly in eastern-central California. It was named Death Valley by one of eighteen survivors of a party of thirty attempting in 1849 to find a shortcut to the California gold fields. In terms of latitude is it located at about 35 degrees North, so it is in a good location for large amounts of sunlight.

It is considered a middle latitude region. In terms of altitude, the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere is in Death Valley. Generally, the lower the elevation, the higher the temperature. The elevation in the lowest point is 86 meters below sea level. In terms of topography, Death Valley is a harsh desert with an average of 5 cm of rain a year. there are no nearby bodies of water, thus, no ocean currents. Death Valley is about 209 kilometers long and 10 to 23 kilometers wide. Despite all these harsh conditions, several animals, such as toads, lizards and plants (like grass and cactus), are found there. Mike Levin -- 2000 Climate data from . (What an appropriate name.) Tripoli City, Libya

Question: What valley is the site of the Earth's highest-ever recorded temperature, 134°F?
Answer: Death Valley