Kuwait, Iraq sizzle in 129-degree heat, setting all-time eastern hemisphere record
While much of the continental United States is baking in high heat and humidity, there is at least one spot on Earth dealing with far more intense heat.
On Thursday and Friday, with a strong area of high pressure parked across the Middle East, high temperatures soared above 125 degrees Fahrenheit, or 51.6 degrees Celsius, in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and western Iran.
In the community of Mitribah, Kuwait, the high temperature rocketed to a record-setting 129.2 degrees Fahrenheit, or 54 degrees Celsius.
You May Also Like
On Friday, Basra, Iraq, which has a population of more than 1 million, also hit 129.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the World Meteorological Organization verifies these records, they would become the hottest temperature recorded on Earth outside of Death Valley, California, which holds the title of the hottest temperature on record.
This would make the Kuwait and Iraq readings the hottest temperature on record in the eastern hemisphere as well as the hottest on record in Asia.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The heat in Mitribah on Thursday looks legit, according to meteorologist Jeff Masters of Weather Underground, since the nearby city of Basra, Iraq, reached a high temperature of 128 degrees Fahrenheit, or 53.4 degrees Celsius, on Thursday as well.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The 1913 Death Valley record was 134.1 degrees Fahrenheit, or 56.7 degrees Celsius, and was set on July 10, 1913.
According to Weather Underground, there are questions about the accuracy of the Death Valley record, but it still stands as the global benchmark (at least for now).
If one were to discount the Death Valley reading entirely, the Basra and Mitribah records would then rank as the hottest temperature on record for the globe.
Thursday's Basra reading ranks as the fourth highest temperature ever reliably measured outside of Death Valley, according to weather historians Christopher Burt and Maximiliano Herrera.
This historic heat is a sign of things to come due to human-caused climate change.
A study published in 2015 found that as global warming continues to boost temperatures and humidity levels, countries bordering the Persian Gulf may become virtually uninhabitable by the end of the century.
Andrew Freedman is Mashable's Senior Editor for Science and Special Projects. Prior to working at Mashable, Freedman was a Senior Science writer for Climate Central. He has also worked as a reporter for Congressional Quarterly and Greenwire/E&E Daily. His writing has also appeared in the Washington Post, online at The Weather Channel, and washingtonpost.com, where he wrote a weekly climate science column for the "Capital Weather Gang" blog. He has provided commentary on climate science and policy for Sky News, CBC Radio, NPR, Al Jazeera, Sirius XM Radio, PBS NewsHour, and other national and international outlets. He holds a Masters in Climate and Society from Columbia University, and a Masters in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
