As an unprecedented heat wave moves through Europe, rampant wildfires have caused evacuations in Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. Over 1,900 heat-related deaths have been reported in Spain and Portugal, and the U.K. recorded its highest temperature ever. Meanwhile, the U.S., China, the Middle East, and parts of Northern Africa are also mired in extreme heat.Â
24/7 Wall St. has determined the hottest places in the world right now using weather station data from the weather information service ogimet.com, which sources information from multiple websites, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Many stations call in their weather data daily. Not all stations are represented. (Also see, these are the hottest inhabited places on Earth.)
The 15 hottest places in the world right now are in just three countries that share common borders – Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran. Kuwait is home to nine of the hottest places, and is no stranger to extreme heat. On July 21, 2016, Kuwait reported one of the highest temperatures ever recorded on Earth, when the Mitribah weather station registered a reading of 129.2°F. Today’s temperature of 128.3°F is less than 1 degree shy of that record.Â
Fueled by human-caused climate change, extreme temperatures are becoming more frequent around the globe and could have disastrous effects in the Middle East, where an increase in flash floods, sandstorms, and mudslides would displace communities and make certain regions uninhabitable.Â
Globally, these heat waves have fueled an increase in droughts, leading to a decrease in global crop yields as well as large scale livestock mortality. Extreme high temperatures have also contributed to uncontrollable wildfires that further release carbon into the atmosphere. (These are the places most likely to have wildfires.)
Click here to see the hottest places in the world right now.
15. Semawa, Iraq
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 121.3°F
> Maximum temp on record: N/A
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Source: Shakeel Sha / Getty Images
14. Nuwasib, Kuwait
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 122.0°F
> Maximum temp on record: 127.8°F on June 22, 2021
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
13. Fao, Iraq
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 122.0°F
> Maximum temp on record: 129.0°F July 22, 2016 (in Basra, ~65 miles inland)
Source: Public Domain / CIA / Wikimedia Commons
12. Rabyah, Kuwait
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 122.2°F
> Maximum temp on record: 124.9°F on July 6, 2018
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11. Abadan, Iran
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 122.2°F
> Maximum temp on record: 126.0°F on June 21, 2022
Source: Public Domain / NASA / Wikimedia Commons
10. Sabriyah, Kuwait
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 122.5°F
> Maximum temp on record: 126.3°F on July 30, 2020
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9. Kuwait International airport, Kuwait
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 122.7°F
> Maximum temp on record: 125.8°F on July 30, 2020
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8. Kuwait City, Kuwait
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 122.9°F
> Maximum temp on record: 125.8°F on July 31, 2012
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
7. Basrah Int. Airport, Iraq
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 123.8°F
> Maximum temp on record: 129.0°F on July 22, 2016
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6. Amarah, Iraq
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 123.8°F
> Maximum temp on record: 127.4°F on July 31, 2020
Source: michaelstubbs / Getty Images
5. Abdaly, Kuwait
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 123.8°F
> Maximum temp on record: 127.0°F on July 16, 2010
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Source: FrankRamspott / Getty Images
4. Sulaibiya, Kuwait
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 124.0°F
> Maximum temp on record: 128.5°F on July 31, 2012
3. Al-Wafra, Kuwait
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 124.0°F
> Maximum temp on record: 125.2°F on July 31, 2012
2. Basrah-Hussen, Iraq
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 124.5°F
> Maximum temp on record: 129.0°F on July 22, 2016
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Source: Meinzahn / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
1. Jahra, Kuwait
> Maximum temp last 24 hours, July 20: 124.9°F
> Maximum temp on record: 128.3°F on July 1, 2021
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