World’s hottest place cools off

Published on 15/09/2012 00:00

An INTERNATIONAL team of weather experts has named California’s Death Valley as the world’s hottest place.

The World Meteorological Organisation yesterday confirmed the title after it investigated a long-held record from El Azizia, Libya, and found that an inexperienced observer recorded the temperature incorrectly.

The Libyan record was logged as 136.4F (58C) on 13 September, 1922 – 90 years ago this week. The new official highest recorded surface temperature is 136F (57.8C) on 10 July, 1913, in Death Valley. The committee included experts from Libya, the United States, Egypt and other countries.