Temperature extremes

Temperature extremes are the highest and lowest temperatures recorded in specific regions. Normally the instrumentation in place would be inadequate to measure the extreme accurately, but discussion of media hypes is a popular hobby.

There are various weather record events on earth for various categories. Only outdoor climatic temperatures are recorded; temperatures recorded inside forest fires, for example, would not be included. Additionally, only temperatures recorded four feet (1.2 metres) or higher above the ground, and in the shade, are admissible, as ground temperatures in many areas are much hotter than air temperatures. One inch above the ground, temperatures can exceed 90 degrees Celsius (194 degrees Fahrenheit) in the deserts. The extreme, naturally occurring, temperature is probably inside lightning, where 28,000°C is exceeded.

The Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories has reached temperatures in excess of 2 gigakelvins.

Large parts of the Sahara, the Middle East and the South Asian subcontinent have had temperatures above 50 °C, as well as Mexicali in Mexico and in the Australian Desert (50.6).


The hottest temperature to date recorded was located in The United States of America and the coldest temperature recorded to date was located within The Commonwealth of Australia.

Current extremes
The world's temperature extremes are:
* The hottest temperature measured reliably was in Death Valley, California, United States . The record temperature of , recorded in Al 'Aziziyah, Libya on 13 September 1922 has been discredited [http://www.fmi.fi/saa/tilastot_34.html#2] and the 56.7°C recorded at the Death valley was recorded without a proper shelter and the instrument was too close to the ground.
*The coldest temperature measured reliably was , recorded on 21 July 1983 in Vostok, an Antarctic research station located at the centre of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Vostok Station is located within the Australian Antarctic Territory, Australia
 
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