Highest recorded temperature on earth
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Highest Recorded Air Temperature on Earth
The highest reliably recorded air temperature on Earth is 56.7°C (134°F), measured at Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley, California, USA, on July 10, 1913. However, this record has been the subject of significant scientific debate. Multiple analyses have questioned the validity of the 1913 Death Valley reading, suggesting it may be a statistical outlier with no known physical explanation for such an extreme value in that location and time. Despite these doubts, it remains the official world record, as no subsequent temperature has been confirmed to surpass it, and the probability of a new record in the near future is considered low, even with ongoing global warming 58.
The Disputed El Azizia, Libya Record
A temperature of 58°C (136.4°F) was reported at El Azizia, Libya, on September 13, 1922, and was long cited as the world’s highest. However, a detailed investigation by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) found multiple issues with the measurement, including problematic instrumentation, an inexperienced observer, and an unrepresentative site. As a result, this record was officially invalidated, and the Death Valley 1913 reading was reinstated as the highest 35.
Recent Extreme Temperatures and Trends
Recent decades have seen new national and regional records as global temperatures rise. For example, Death Valley reached 54.4°C (129.9°F) in August 2020, the highest reliably measured temperature globally since 1913, pending confirmation 89. Other notable recent records include 50.7°C in Australia (2022), 44.2°C in Vietnam (2023), and 44.8°C in Brazil (2023) 46. These extremes are part of a broader trend: the 2010–2020 decade was the warmest on record for over a third of the Earth’s surface, and new maximum temperature records have been set in many regions since 1980 710.
Highest Recorded Ground Surface Temperature
While air temperature records are most commonly cited, ground surface temperatures can be even higher. The highest natural ground surface temperature ever recorded is 93.9°C (201°F) at Furnace Creek, Death Valley, on July 15, 1972. This extreme was measured under intense solar radiation and very light winds, with air temperatures that day peaking at 53.3°C (128°F) .
Conclusion
The highest reliably recorded air temperature on Earth is 56.7°C (134°F) at Death Valley, California, in 1913, though its validity is debated. The previously higher El Azizia, Libya, record has been disqualified. Recent years have seen new national records and a clear trend of increasing extreme heat events worldwide, but no confirmed air temperature has yet surpassed the 1913 Death Valley record. Ground surface temperatures can be much higher, with a world record of 93.9°C (201°F) also set in Death Valley. As global warming continues, the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events are expected to rise, but a new all-time air temperature record remains unlikely in the immediate future 2345+5 MORE.
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