The 56.7 °C reading at Furnace Creek Ranch on 10 July 1913 is the highest officially recognized air temperature ever recorded on Earth.
Key Facts
- Recorded temperature
- 56.7 °C (134 °F)
- Date and time
- 10 July 1913 at 2:00 PM
- Location
- Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley, California
- Governing body
- World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- Former Libya record decertified
- 2012
- Next-highest temp (if decertified)
- 54.0 °C (129.2 °F)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Death Valley's geography — a low-elevation desert basin surrounded by mountain ranges — creates extreme heat through intense solar radiation, compressed and heated descending air, and highly reflective valley floor surfaces. These conditions made the region prone to exceptional temperature spikes during summer months.
On 10 July 1913 at 2:00 PM, an air temperature of 56.7 °C (134 °F) was measured at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, Eastern California. The World Meteorological Organization and Guinness World Records recognize this as the highest official air temperature ever recorded on Earth.
The record has stood as the global benchmark for over a century, though meteorological experts have questioned its accuracy. A previous rival record from Libya was decertified in 2012, and scrutiny of the 1913 record continues. The WMO maintains it as official pending any future investigation, with a fallback record of 54.0 °C shared by three other sites.