The Hottest Places on Earth Explained
Where is the hottest place in the world? How hot is it?
Dalol
Dalol is located in Ethiopia, Africa, nestled in the Danakil Desert, a desert with harsher conditions than the Sahara. It's home to a quarter of Africa's volcanoes and lies near the Great Rift Valley, making earthquakes and volcanic eruptions commonplace. Recorded average temperatures here are 35°C, though locals report reaching as high as 60°C. With no water, farming is impossible, and the high temperatures persist year-round, yet a fierce tribe manages to survive in these harsh conditions.
Lut Desert
Located in southeastern Iran, the Lut Desert is one of the hottest regions on Earth, with a surface temperature of 70.7°C recorded in 2005. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 2016, with a core area covering approximately 480 square kilometers. Its surface is covered in black volcanic lava, which absorbs significant heat. Seasonal strong winds have shaped wind-eroded yardangs, rocky deserts, salt flats, and sand dune chains reaching 300 meters in height. During the rainy season, runoff from the Kerman Mountains evaporates, leaving only rock and salt deposits, creating an arid landscape.
About the Lut Desert
The Lut Desert, covering approximately 480 square kilometers and nicknamed "roasted wheat," is the hottest place on Earth, with temperatures reaching as high as 71°C. These high temperatures are due to the surface being covered in black volcanic lava, which absorbs the sun's heat. During the spring rainy season, rainwater flows down from the nearby Kerman Mountains, but it quickly dries up, leaving behind only rock, sand, and salt. The eastern part of the Lut Desert is covered in low-lying salt flats. In the center, a series of parallel gullies formed by weathering stretches over 150 kilometers and reaches heights of up to 75 meters. To the southeast lies a vast Sahara-like sandy beach, with dunes reaching heights of up to 300 meters, among the tallest in the world.
Hottest Place on Earth
There is considerable debate about the hottest place on Earth. Many people believe that the hottest place in the world is Aziziyah in Libya, where the highest temperature ever reached a record high of 57.8°C. The second hottest place is Death Valley in California, USA, where the temperature was recorded at 56.7°C in 1913. In addition, NASA satellites have recorded surface temperatures of 71°C in the Lut Desert in Iran, which is speculated to be the highest temperature ever recorded on the Earth's surface.
