Death Valley officially holds hottest temperature record (climate, recorded, temperatures)

[dunno what to put here]

Team of meteorologists overturn a reading from 90 years ago and make Death Valley the holder of the world's hottest temperature

TEMPE, Ariz. – If you think this summer was hot, it's nothing compared to the summer of 1913, when the hottest temperature ever recorded was a searing 134 F in Death Valley, Calif. But while that reading was made 99 years ago, it is only being recognized today by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as the most extreme temperature ever recorded.
That's because an international team of meteorologists recently finished an in-depth investigation of what had been the world-record temperature extreme of 58 C (136.4 F), recorded on Sept. 13, 1922 in El Azizia, Libya. The group found that there were enough questions surrounding the measurement and how it was made that it was probably inaccurate, overturning the record 90 years to the day it was recorded.

World's hottest temperature cools a bit

[ben86]

Interesting - it's about time really. I'd never believed the record could have been set in mid-September, particularly a reading taken in a backwards place like that so long ago. Does anybody know if the Death Valley temperature is disputed at all with it being so old? How close has it got since?

[nei]

Originally Posted by ben86

Interesting - it's about time really. I'd never believed the record could have been set in mid-September, particularly a reading taken in a backwards place like that so long ago. Does anybody know if the Death Valley temperature is disputed at all with it being so old? How close has it got since?

Yes, Chris Burt, one of the weatherunderground bloggers disputes the Death Valley reading as well but the evidence isn't as conclusive.

Weather Extremes : Hottest air temperatures reported on Earth | Weather Underground

The COOP form for Greenland Ranch in August 1924 shows some very suspicious readings with 16 nights above 100° including a 12-day consecutive stretch of such, including two at 110°! The modern (post 1934) record for Death Valley has never had more than 3 consecutive nights above 100° and a hottest night-ever of 104° on July 23-24, 2003… It would appear Death Valley, California holds the best authenticated value of 129°F and also the 2nd best 'possibly authentic' reading with the 134°F in 1913. I would propose that the hottest reliable, undisputed temperatures yet measured on earth are the 129°F (53.9°C) readings on four different occasions in Death Valley, California.

Dead Heat Documentary | Weather Underground

Chris Burt claims to be responsible for making the case against the Libyan record. The weatherunderground created a whole page prouldy trumpeting themselves as well as a movie detailing the story. The four posts on linked to on the page (the above post is one of them) are a good read, and the latest one describes his communications with other meteorologists, including a Libyan meterologist who agreed with him. The Libyan war delayed the result.

In early March, Gaddafi began airing long nightly rambling tirades on his government TV network. During one of these, he made an ominous reference to how NATO forces were using Libyan climate data to plan their assault on the country.

[Rozenn]

I'm not sure if it's the highest it got since, but 53.9°C apparently has been reached in 1998, 2005 and 2007, with an average yearly high of around 52°C.

Edit: didn't see nei's post!

[nei]

Originally Posted by Rozenn

I'm not sure if it's the highest it got since, but 53.9°C apparently has been reached in 1998, 2005 and 2007, with an average yearly high of around 52°C.

The US weather service reports temperatures to the nearest °F, so the .9°C isn't real precision; it's just what 129°F converts to in Celsius.

[ben86]

Originally Posted by nei

Yes, Chris Burt, one of the weatherunderground bloggers disputes the Death Valley reading as well but the evidence isn't as conclusive.

Weather Extremes : Hottest air temperatures reported on Earth | Weather Underground

The COOP form for Greenland Ranch in August 1924 shows some very suspicious readings with 16 nights above 100° including a 12-day consecutive stretch of such, including two at 110°! The modern (post 1934) record for Death Valley has never had more than 3 consecutive nights above 100° and a hottest night-ever of 104° on July 23-24, 2003… It would appear Death Valley, California holds the best authenticated value of 129°F and also the 2nd best 'possibly authentic' reading with the 134°F in 1913. I would propose that the hottest reliable, undisputed temperatures yet measured on earth are the 129°F (53.9°C) readings on four different occasions in Death Valley, California.

Dead Heat Documentary | Weather Underground

Chris Burt claims to be responsible for making the case against the Libyan record. The weatherunderground created a whole page prouldy trumpeting themselves as well as a movie detailing the story. The four posts on linked to on the page (the above post is one of them) are a good read, and the latest one describes his communications with other meteorologists, including a Libyan meterologist who agreed with him. The Libyan war delayed the result.

In early March, Gaddafi began airing long nightly rambling tirades on his government TV network. During one of these, he made an ominous reference to how NATO forces were using Libyan climate data to plan their assault on the country.

Interesting articles!Unfortunately the 'new' record doesn't look too promising either then - same goes for our national record of 38.5C which was taken at an allegedly overexposed site as recently as 2003. I'm still waiting for the 35.6C which is supposed to have happened in South Yorkshire in September 1906 to be officially disproved too.

[Neuling]

But that goes only for regions where there are official stations. According to specialized satellite images temperatures rise to 70° and beyond in Iran's Lut desert I know what 45° feels like, I can't imagine 70°

[nei]

Real patriotic Americans should be proud that America is #1 in hot weather!

[Neuling]

Lol, yes, reminds me of a thread in the world forum

[Rozenn]

Could it be a USA-Iran battle?
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7149
Looks like 71°C is a surface temp, I don't find it excessive, especially if rocks there are dark?

Other surface temp hotspots during the campaign were Turpan and interior Queensland:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tonrCVa3rk...-2003-2009.png

Originally Posted by nei

The US weather service reports temperatures to the nearest °F, so the .9°C isn't real precision; it's just what 129°F converts to in Celsius.

Thanks for the clarification. I found it weird to see the 53.9°C "2 nd record" tied several times.