Summer is here, and it’s been hot.
To me, anything over 75 °F is hot, so needless to say, I melted during the past week. I have a lot of family in Arizona and southern California, where triple digits are common. I know we weren’t that hot here in Washington, but it was hot for the Pacific Northwest.
As I melted, I wondered where the hottest places in the world were (so I won’t accidentally visit them during their hot season.) It turns out that the hottest recorded temperature was on July 10, 1913, in Furnace Creek, California. This is in Death Valley National Park. It was 134.1 °F. This summer, Furnace Creek reached 130 °F. I guess it’s well-named.
I’m surprised that the hottest recorded temperature is found in the United States. I would have guessed Africa or the Middle East. Below is the record temp for each continent. I think I’m happy I live in Washington, where we have a heatwave for just one week a year.
The Hot Spots!
- Africa: Tunisia, Kebili, 131 °F, July 7, 1931
- Antarctica: Seymour Island, 69.3 °F, February 9, 2020
- Asia: Iran, Ahvaz Airport (OIAW), 129 °F, June 29, 2017; Israel (then Mandatory Palestine), Tirat Zvi, 129 °F, June 21, 1942; Kuwait, Mitribah, 129.0 °F, July 21, 2016
- Europe: Greece, Athens, 118.4 °F, July 10, 1977
- North America: United States, Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California, 134 °F, July 10, 1913
- Oceania: Australia, Oodnadatta, South Australia, 123.3 °F, January 2, 1960
- South America: Argentina, Rivadavia, Salta Province, 120.0 °F, December 11, 1905