What is the highest officially recorded air temperature on Earth?

The highest officially recorded air temperature on Earth is 56.7 °C (134 °F), measured at Furnace Creek in California’s Death Valley on 10 July 1913.

The reading was taken at what was then called Greenland Ranch, in one of the hottest and driest places in North America. Death Valley lies below sea level and is surrounded by mountains, which help trap and compress hot air. Its clear skies and extremely dry conditions also allow intense solar heating.

The World Meteorological Organization recognizes the 1913 measurement as the official global record. A 58 °C reading reported from Libya in 1922 was later rejected after investigators found problems with the observation and its documentation.

This record refers to air temperature measured with meteorological instruments, not the temperature of sand, rocks, or pavement. Surface materials can become considerably hotter than the surrounding air.