On July 10, 1913, the ambient air temperature recorded at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, California, hit a blistering 134 degrees Fahrenheit. This extreme reading remains the official World Meteorological Organization benchmark for the highest air temperature ever measured on Earth. The below‑sea‑level basin of Death Valley acted as a natural furnace, trapping descending hot air and producing one of the most extraordinary atmospheric measurements in meteorological history.
While the 1913 value remains in the record books, it has faced intense scrutiny from modern climate scientists. Detailed re‑analyses have labeled the century‑old measurement highly implausible compared to surrounding stations, suggesting it may have been influenced by a superheated sandstorm and a non‑standard thermometer shelter. Today, researchers point to Death Valley’s modern, WMO‑standardized readings of 130°F as the most reliable demonstration of the region’s unmatched thermal extremes.
Image: a view of Golden Canyon under the Sun, about 2.5 miles away from Furnace Creek in Death Valley where the world’s hottest temperature was recorded.
