Libya Is Not the Hottest Place on Earth—Death Valley Holds the Record

Correction: Libya is not the hottest place on Earth. The official world record for highest reliably measured air temperature belongs to Death Valley, California, USA:

• 56.7°C (134°F) recorded at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913 (WMO-certified).

Libya's Claim & Reality

• El Azizia, Libya recorded 58.0°C (136.4°F) on Sept 13, 1922—but the WMO invalidated this in 2012 due to instrumentation errors, inexperienced observer, and unrepresentative site.
• Libya's actual extreme highs (e.g., 50–53°C in desert interior) are among the world's highest, but not the record.

Other Extreme Heat Contenders

• Kebili, Tunisia: 55°C (131°F) – 1931 (historical, debated)
• Mitribah, Kuwait: 54.0°C (129.2°F) – 2016 (verified)
• Turbat, Pakistan: 53.7°C (128.7°F) – 2017 (verified)

Death Valley also holds records for highest average monthly temperature (42.3°C / 108.1°F in July 2018) and most consecutive days ≥52°C (134°F).