Temperatures in parts of the Pacific Northwest surged to all-time highs of over 115 F a year ago. The record-breaking heatwave, which resulted in nearly 200 deaths in Washington and Oregon, is part of a broader pattern of extreme and more frequent weather events resulting from climate change.
While triple-digit temperatures were a shock to cities like Portland or Seattle, there are many parts of the world where such high temperatures are expected. Here is a look at the rarest types of weather on earth.
Using data from the Global Historical Climate Network, 24/7 Wall St. identified the hottest inhabited places on Earth. Places were ranked based on the average year-round temperature. Only places that are currently inhabited were included.
The cities and towns on this list span the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Several of these areas have had at least one month in the last 10 years where the average temperature was above 100 F.
Click here to see the hottest inhabited places on Earth
To determine the hottest inhabited places on Earth, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed average temperature data from the Global Historical Climate Network (Version 4) of the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Weather stations were ranked based on the average year-round temperature from 2011 to 2020. Only places with at least five years of data were considered. Data used to determine the hottest month also came from the GHCN and are for the years 2011 to 2020.
25. Mene Grande, Venezuela
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.1 F
> Hottest avg. month: June (87.2 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: March 2016 (89.0 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 92 feet
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24. Faya-Largeau, Chad
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.2 F
> Hottest avg. month: May (101.5 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2018 (102.1 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 768 feet
23. Parnaíba, Brazil
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.3 F
> Hottest avg. month: November (87.7 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: December 2017 (90.3 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 16 feet
22. Navrongo, Ghana
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.3 F
> Hottest avg. month: April (93.7 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: April 2017 (94.1 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 666 feet
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21. Sur, Oman
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.4 F
> Hottest avg. month: June (97.7 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2012 (100.5 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 46 feet
20. Niamey, Niger
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.5 F
> Hottest avg. month: April (95.1 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2015 (97.4 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 709 feet
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19. Khartoum, Sudan
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.5 F
> Hottest avg. month: May (95.2 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2016 (96.8 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 1,247 feet
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18. Akjoujt, Mauritania
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.5 F
> Hottest avg. month: June (96.6 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: June 2011 (97.2 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 404 feet
17. Abu Hamad, Sudan
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.5 F
> Hottest avg. month: June (97.5 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: June 2017 (100.6 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 1,024 feet
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16. Kayes, Mali
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.6 F
> Hottest avg. month: May (97.8 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2016 (99.5 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 169 feet
15. Kassala, Sudan
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.6 F
> Hottest avg. month: May (94.3 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2012 (95.7 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 1,640 feet
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14. La Cañada, Venezuela
> Avg. year-round temperature: 86.8 F
> Hottest avg. month: June (88.6 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: August 2013 (90.2 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 85 feet
13. Khasab, Oman
> Avg. year-round temperature: 87.0 F
> Hottest avg. month: July (100.7 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: July 2015 (102.6 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 95 feet
12. Tillabéri, Niger
> Avg. year-round temperature: 87.0 F
> Hottest avg. month: May (95.9 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2015 (97.5 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 686 feet
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11. Salak, Cameroon
> Avg. year-round temperature: 87.0 F
> Hottest avg. month: March (96.8 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: March 2019 (96.8 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 1,391 feet
10. Coro, Venezuela
> Avg. year-round temperature: 87.2 F
> Hottest avg. month: September (89.6 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: September 2015 (94.2 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 52 feet
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9. Ayoun al Atrous, Mauritania
> Avg. year-round temperature: 87.2 F
> Hottest avg. month: June (98.9 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: June 2015 (100.5 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 771 feet
8. Matam, Senegal
> Avg. year-round temperature: 87.6 F
> Hottest avg. month: May (96.5 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2013 (96.9 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 00 feet
7. Atbara, Sudan
> Avg. year-round temperature: 87.7 F
> Hottest avg. month: June (97.8 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: June 2016 (99.5 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 1,132 feet
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6. Kiffa, Mauritania
> Avg. year-round temperature: 87.9 F
> Hottest avg. month: June (98.1 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2013 (99.4 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 361 feet
5. Jizan, Saudi Arabia
> Avg. year-round temperature: 88.0 F
> Hottest avg. month: July (94.9 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: July 2014 (95.5 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 16 feet
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4. Yélimané, Mali
> Avg. year-round temperature: 88.7 F
> Hottest avg. month: May (99.7 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2016 (100.6 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 328 feet
3. Kaédi, Mauritania
> Avg. year-round temperature: 89.2 F
> Hottest avg. month: May (97.7 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2012 (98.4 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 75 feet
2. Mecca, Saudi Arabia
> Avg. year-round temperature: 89.8 F
> Hottest avg. month: July (98.9 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: August 2015 (100.2 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 1,017 feet
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1. Abéché, Chad
> Avg. year-round temperature: 90.0 F
> Hottest avg. month: May (99.3 F avg. temp.)
> Hottest month in last decade: May 2020 (100.7 F avg. temp.)
> Elevation at nearest weather station: 1,801 feet
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