Dead heat: the hottest places on earth

Dead heat: the hottest places on earth

We take a look at the hottest places on Earth and what it takes to survive there

We just returned from Dallol, Ethiopia and saw how hard it is to survive in one of the hottest places on earth.

The hottest places on earth are in constant motion. They change from year to year and with them change recording techniques that are often questioned and controversial. Regardless, the same places appear again and again, many of them with similar characteristics. The hottest places on Earth are almost always dry, barren, sunny, and contain little or no vegetation.

From Libya to Iran to Australia, it gets so hot in these places that often only very few people can make an existence - and if they do, then a meager one. We examine the contenders for some of the world's most sought-after real estate: the hottest places on Earth.

Dallol, Ethiopia

Dallol, in Ethiopia's Danakil Depression, still holds the official record for the highest average temperature for an inhabited place on Earth. Recorded between 1960 and 1966, the average annual temperature was 35 °C (95 °F).

Nearby is Erta Ale, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Make no mistake: this region of Ethiopia is one of the most extreme places in the world.

Bandar-e Mahshahr, Iran

alt="The Hottest Places on Earth, Fairuse Iran">jangavaran; Fair useAlmost 300,000 residents live in Bandar-e Mahshahr

With almost 300,000 inhabitants, the provincial capital in Iran is no small town. In 2015, the city recorded a heat index (a combination of air temperature and humidity) of 74 °C (165 °F) - the second highest heat index ever recorded on Earth.

Dasht-e Loot, Iran

alt="hottest places on earth Lut Desert">DreamtimeThe Lut Desert was the hottest place on earth for five out of seven years

The Dasht-e Loot or Lut Desert is home to lunar-like landscapes and a range of geological phenomena, including salt flats, meteorite fields and huge natural sand castles called Kaluts.

According to NASA, the Lut Desert was the hottest place on Earth for five of seven years recorded by satellite data between 2003 and 2009. The highest overall temperature was 70.7 °C (159.3 °F), recorded in 2005.

Queensland, Australia

alt="Hottest Places on Earth CSIRO Queensland">CSIRO; CC BY-SA 2.0Queensland has the highest average maximum temperature of any Australian state

In 2003, NASA satellites recorded a temperature of 69.3 °C (156.7 °F) in the badlands of Queensland, Australia. The state of Queensland has the highest average maximum temperature of any Australian state. Queensland is Australia's second most populous state, but only seven of its population centers have not recorded a temperature above 40 °C (104 °F).

Aziziya, Libya

alt="The Hottest Places on Earth fairuse orangesmile Libya">orange smile; Fair useA high of 58 °C (136.4 °F) was reported in Aziziyah

For 90 years, the city of Aziziyah, 40 km (25 miles) south of Tripoli, held the record for the hottest place on earth. In 1922 the temperature was recorded at 58 °C (136.4 °F). However, the claim has been repeatedly disputed (not least by those in Death Valley, California).

Regardless, Aziziyah is undeniably very, very hot. Verified readings have confirmed a record high of 56 °C (132.8 °F) and an average high of 47.4 °C (117.3 °F), meaning the city remains one of the hottest places on earth.

Death Valley, California, USA

alt="Death Valley hottest places on earth">DreamtimeFurnace Creek in Death Valley holds the record for the highest reliably recorded air temperature

Located in California, Death Valley is home to Furnace Creek, which holds the record for the highest reliably recorded air temperature in the world: 56.7 °C (134 °F) on July 10, 1913. Death Valley also holds the record for the lowest point in North America at 86 m (282 ft) below sea level and the driest place in North America with only 38 mm (1.5 in) of precipitation per year.

Kebili, Tunisia

alt=“The hottest places in the world Максим Улитин Tunisia”>Максим Улитин; CC BY-SA 2.0Average monthly temperatures in Kebili regularly exceed 40°C (104°F)

The oasis town of Kebili in the middle of the Tunisian desert would be almost unremarkable if it weren't for the scorching temperatures. The French colonial authorities at the Service Météorologique de Tunis show a record high of 55 °C (131 °F), with monthly averages regularly exceeding 40 °C (104 °F).

Wadi Halfa, Sudan

alt="The Hottest Places on Earth Bertramz Wadi Halfa">Bertramz; CC BY-SA 2.0Wadi Halfa receives less than a millimeter of rainfall in a year

Located on the shores of Lake Nubia, Wadi Halfa “enjoys” average June temperatures of 41.1°C (106°F). A high of 53 °C (127.4 °F) was recorded in April 1967. Over the course of a year, Wadi Halfa receives less than a millimeter of rainfall.

Figures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggest that 10 out of 12 months are completely dry, with just 0.6 mm (0.024 inches) of precipitation throughout the year.

Tirat Zvi, Israel

alt="The Hottest Places on Earth, Fair Use Israel">richestlifestyle.com; Fair useOnly around 800 people live in Tirat Tzvi

Tirat Tzvi, a small Israeli town known for growing dates, recorded the highest temperature ever recorded in Asia in 1942: 53 °C (128 °F). The city lies 220 m (722 feet) below sea level near the Jordan River and Israel-Jordan border.

Only about 800 people live in the city. They survive by using nearby natural spring pools to cool off in the unrelenting heat.

Flaming Mountains, China

alt=“Hottest Places on Earth Colegota falming mountains”>Colegota; CC BY-SA 2.0Flaming Mountains is the hottest place in China

They don't call them the Flaming Mountains for nothing. The harsh mountain climate, known locally as the Gaochang Mountains, suffers from extremely high summer temperatures, making the area the hottest place in China.

Temperatures often exceed 50 °C (122 °F) and there is even evidence of reaching up to 80 °C (175 °F), making the barren, eroded red sandstone landscape one of the hottest places on Earth.

Timbuktu, Mali

alt=“Unknown architectural wonders of Mali – 1″>DreamtimeAverage temperatures in Mali regularly exceed 40°C (104°F)

The ancient city of Timbuktu is not only threatened by the recent conflict in Mali. Located at the crossroads of ancient Saharan trade routes, Timbuktu is also threatened by desertification.

Attacked by the encroaching Sahara, average temperatures regularly exceed 40°C (104°F), with the maximum reaching 49°C (120.2°F).

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