Highest Recorded Temperatures

Updated May 8, 2019 | Infoplease Staff

Below is a table of the highest recorded temperatures for each continent. Death Valley, Calif., tops the list, hitting a stifling 134 degrees in 1913.

Place Date Degrees
Fahrenheit
Degrees
Celsius
North America Furnace Creek Ranch (Death Valley), Calif., USAJuly 10, 1913 134.0 56.7
Asia Tirat Tsvi, Israel June 21, 1942 129.2 54.0
Africa1 Kebili, Tunisia July 7, 1931 131.0 55.0
AustraliaOodnadatta, South AustraliaJan. 2, 1960 123.050.7
Europe Athens, Greece (and Elefsina, Greece) July 10, 1977 118.4 48.0
South America Rivadavia, Argentina Dec. 11, 1905 120.0 48.9
Oceania Tuguegarao, Philippines April 20, 1912 108.0 42.2
Antarctica Vanda Station, Scott CoastJan. 5, 1974 59.0 15.0

1. Previous record of 58 degrees celsius recorded at El Azizia, Libya was reviewed (2010-2012) by a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Commission of Climatology (CCl) special international panel of meteorological experts. Their conclusion rejected the long-held record, citing (a) problematical instrumentation, (b) a likely inexperienced observer, (c) an observation site which was not representative of the desert surroundings, (d) poor matching of the extreme to other nearby locations and (e) poor matching to subsequent temperatures recorded at the site.
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