HOTTEST PLACE ON EARTH: Temperatures soar to 129 degrees in Iran in record-breaking heat
THE temperature soared to a record-breaking 129.2 degrees Fahrenheit in Iran as the sweltering heat engulfed the city of Ahvaz.
The temperature soared to a record-breaking 129.2°F in Ahvaz, Iran
Forecasters from Weather Underground indicated the temperature climbed to 129.2°F (54°C) twice in the city on Thursday, setting possibly a new world record for hottest temperature.
Coupled with stifling humidity, the heat index said the city’s temperature actually felt like it was exceeding 140°F.
Etienne Kapikian, a forecaster at French meteorological agency MeteoFrance, said the mercury soared to 128.6°F (53.7°C).
53.7°C this 29 June in Ahwaz, Iran, record absolute national heat and record monthly June for the Asian continent
He said the temperature is a “new absolute national record of reliable Iranian heat” and hottest ever recorded in June over mainland Asia.
Previously, Iran’s hottest temperature was 127.4°F.
If the 129.2°F is accurate, weather historians say it will tie for the hottest temperature ever measured on Earth in recent times.
Etienne Kapikian said the mercury soared to 128.6°F
Ahvaz has been forced to contend with stifling conditions
The World Meteorological Organisation is expected to review the reading to determine if Ahvaz matched the highest modern global temperature.
Christopher Burt, a weather historian from Weather Underground, said Mitribah, Kuwait hit 129.2°F on July 21, 2016 as did Death Valley, California on June 20, 2013.
The scorching weather in Iran comes as a dome of heat centres itself over the Middle East.
Ahvaz has been forced to contend with stifling conditions with its 1.1 million residents also battling with high humidity.
he scorching weather in Iran comes as a dome of heat centres itself over the Middle East
Simple steps to surviving summer heatwave
According to reports the heat was so extreme it went beyond levels the heat index is designed to compute.
The city is in the middle of a heatwave after temperature hit 127.2°F (52.9°C) on Wednesday.
Rocketing temperatures in the Middle East have seen several regions record their hottest May temperatures this year.
Turban in Pakistan recorded 128.3°F (53.5°C) on May 28, according to Weather Underground setting a world record temperature for May.
Konarak in Iran saw the mercury reach 127°F (52.7°C) on the same day setting a new May record for the country.
Climate change experts say the high temperatures are to be expected.
Temperatures in the Middle East may become too hot by the end of the century for humans to survive, according to a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change in 2015.