What is the hottest temperature ever recorded? Where on Earth was it?
When the summer months bear down and the sun seems impossibly hot, peaking temperatures can feel oppressive, whether humid or dry, and prompt the question, "has it ever been hotter than this?!"
Much of the time the answer to that question will be yes. Despite the planet’s consistent warming due to climate change, and the steady increase in the year’s highest temperatures, Earth has been this hot before.
Here’s a guide to the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth, which country it’s in, and at what point heat becomes unlivable for humans.
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What is the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth?
The highest temperature on record belongs to California’s Death Valley which, in 1913, reached a temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit, or 56.7 degrees Celsius, Al Jazeera reports.
By region, the hottest temperatures ever recorded are:
Africa: 131 F (Tunisia, 1931)
Asia: 129 F (Iran 2017)
Europe: 119.8 F (Italy 2021)
Antarctica 69.3 F (Seymour Island 2020)
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Do humans live in Death Valley?
Yes, people live in Death Valley. According to the 2020 Census, that population number is around 856.
What is the hottest temperature a human can survive?
It really depends on the conditions. It is easier for humans to survive dry heat than extreme humidity, as excessive moisture in the air slows the natural cooling process of the body by slowing the evaporation process of sweat.
UCLA climate researcher Chad Thackeray told USA Today in an email that it is generally thought that exposure to wet bulb temperatures of 95F or greater for at least 6 hours is the threshold for human survival. Wet bulb temperature refers to the metric used to express the combined impacts of extreme temperature and humidity.