 |
What was the hottest day in history? |
by Brian Griffin (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
On September 13, 1922 the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was reached in Al 'Aziziyah, Libya, a city in the north of Africa. The temperature that day was an incredibly hot 136°F (57.7°C)! That's about as hot as a cup of hot chocolate you might drink! Except instead of being comfortable in a cup, warming you up on a cool day, that's the temperature of the air around you! It would not be very pleasant at all, and that sort of heat can actually be dangerous.
North America isn't far behind Africa in terms of heat. The second hottest day ever was recorded in Death Valley, California, with a very hot 134°F.
How can Libya and Death Valley get so hot? Use a web-based map service like Google Maps to check out satellite images of these places. What do you notice about the colors of these places. Are they the bright greens of forests or are they the dry browns of dessert sand? What can the color of the landscape tell us about the climate of these places?
North America isn't far behind Africa in terms of heat. The second hottest day ever was recorded in Death Valley, California, with a very hot 134°F.
How can Libya and Death Valley get so hot? Use a web-based map service like Google Maps to check out satellite images of these places. What do you notice about the colors of these places. Are they the bright greens of forests or are they the dry browns of dessert sand? What can the color of the landscape tell us about the climate of these places?
