Highest temperature recorded on Earth


The highest temperature recorded on Earth has been measured in three major ways: air, ground, and through satellite. The former of the three is used as the standard measurement, and is noted by the World Meteorological Organization among others for the official record. How the record is taken though has been subject to controversy regarding various factors such as environmental conditions. For ninety years a former record that was measured in Libya had been in place until it was disproven in 2012. This finding has since raised questions about the legitimacy of the current record which was measured in Death Valley in the United States of America. The WMO has since stated that they would be willing to open an investigation into the matter as all "available evidence" points to its accuracy. While there have been higher reports through air readings, none of these have ever been verified. The other two measurements of ground and satellite have also generated higher readings, but are less reliable and also unverified.

Measurements

Air and ground temperature

The standard measuring conditions for temperature are in the air, above the ground, and shielded from direct sunlight. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the highest registered air temperature on Earth was in Furnace Creek Ranch, California, located in the Death Valley desert in the United States, on 10 July 1913, but the validity of this record is challenged
as possible problems with the reading have since been discovered. One of these was noted as early as 1949 by Dr. Arnold Court, who came to the conclusion that the temperature may have been the result of a sandstorm that occurred at the time. Court stated that "such a storm may have caused superheated surface materials to hit upon the temperature in the shelter." Weather historians such as Christopher C. Burt, and William Taylor Reid have also claimed that the 1913 Death Valley reading is "a myth", and is at least too high. If the 1913 record were to be decertified, the highest recorded air temperature on Earth would be, recorded both in Death Valley on 20 June 2013, and in Mitribah, Kuwait on 21 July 2016.
These questions regarding the current record may be linked to a previous record that had held for 90 years. From 1922 until 2012, the WMO record for the highest official temperature on Earth was, registered on 13 September 1922, in ‘Aziziya, Libya. In January 2012, the WMO decertified the 1922 record, citing persuasive evidence that it was a faulty reading recorded in error by an inexperienced observer. The WMO has come out in support of the current record stating that "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."
Temperatures measured directly on the ground may exceed air temperatures by 30 to 50 °C. The theoretical maximum possible ground surface temperature has been estimated to be between 90 and 100 °C for dry, darkish soils of low thermal conductivity. While there is no highest confirmed ground temperature, a reading of 93.9 °C was allegedly recorded in Furnace Creek Ranch on 15 July 1972.

Satellite measurements

Temperature measurements via satellite also tend to capture occurrence of higher records but, due to complications involving satellite's altitude loss, these measurements are often considered less reliable than ground-positioned thermometers. The highest recorded temperature taken by a satellite is, which was measured in the Flaming Mountains of China in 2008. Other satellite measurements of ground temperature taken between 2003 and 2009, taken with the MODIS infrared spectroradiometer on the Aqua satellite, found a maximum temperature of 70.7 °C, which was recorded in 2005 in the Lut Desert, Iran. The Lut Desert was also found to have the highest maximum temperature in 5 of the 7 years measured. These measurements reflect averages over a large region and so are lower than the maximum point surface temperature.

Unverified claims

The following are unverified claims of extreme heat over the current world record of. These include historical claims that were never authenticated due to the equipment available at the time, and unverified scientific claims. Amateur readings have also been done through social media that claimed extreme temperatures which were later discredited. Videos were posted in one instance that allegedly showed street lights melting or trees bursting into flames. These were later disproven by meteorologists who tied the "evidence" to other unrelated prior events that had taken place.
DateTemperature °C/°FTypeCauseLocationDescription
AirHeat burstCherokee, Oklahoma
This incident was recorded at 3:00 AM, and reportedly caused crops to desiccate in the area.
AirHeat burstFigueira da Foz, Coimbra
Within two minutes, a heat burst reportedly drove the air temperature from.
AirHeat burstKopperl, Texas
A heat burst is claimed to have sent the air temperature to near, supposedly causing cotton crops to become desiccated and drying out vegetation.
AirHeat burstSan Luis RC, Sonora
Mexican news agencies according to state archives
AirHeat burstMexicali, BC
Baja California State Meteorologic Agency archives cite a newspaper note for San Luis, Sonora at 58.5 degrees, at that time the local Meteorologic agency using its own equipment measured that same day a temperature for "El riito" community in Mexicali a top of 60 °C and stopped there because of the limits of the meteorological thermometer used at that time.
UnknownHeat burstAbadan
An alleged temperature of was recorded during a heat burst in Abadan, Iran.
GroundFurnace Creek Ranch
See "Measurements" section above.
SatelliteLut Desert
See "Measurements" section above.
SatelliteFlaming Mountains
See "Measurements" section above.
GroundPort Sudan
A ground temperature of was reportedly taken in Port Sudan, Sudan.