The Hottest Places on the Face of the Earth

Before you complain about the summertime heat, think of this...

The hottest natural Earth-bound recorded temperature was noted in El Azizia, Libya with 136 degrees Fahrenheit.

Second place goes to Death Valley, California with 134 degrees.

But neither one of these places has the highest average temperature. That honor belongs to Dakol, Ethiopia where the average temperature is 94 degrees Fahrenheit.

All of these places share a few geographic anomalies. They are all on the edges of deserts. They are in mid to low latitudes and get far more direct sun than other areas. They are also in geographic low spots in relation to sea level.

So yeah, Texas is hot and Arizona is hot. And a muggy Summer's day in New York is hot, but you could be in the Mojave or on the edge of the Sahara.