The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) following an in-depth investigation has arrived at two of the hottest temperatures recorded on Earth in recent times. This includes 129 degrees (53.9 Celsius, plus or minus 0.1 degrees uncertainty) in Mitribah, Kuwait, on July 21, 2016, and 128.7 degrees (53.7 Celsius, plus or minus 0.4 degrees uncertainty) in Turbat, Pakistan, on May 28, 2017. In a statement, WMO said: “The Mitribah, Kuwait temperature is now accepted by the WMO as the highest temperature ever recorded for the continental region of Asia. The two observations are the third (tied within uncertainty limits) and fourth highest WMO-recognized temperature extremes.”

In the last 76 years, these are the highest temperatures that have been recorded. If you are wondering what the hottest ever temperature that has been recorded is, it is 56.7°C on 10 July 1913 in Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California. The second in line is 55°C on 7 July 1931 in Kebili, Tunisia. While there has been questioning into the credibility of these records and the possibility of such temperatures, the WMO Archive for Weather & Climate Extremes is ready to look into any new evidence that presents itself.

This is probably not the kind of hot news you would have wanted to hear. But it points out the need for immediate action.