Where is the hottest place on Earth?

The highest air temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth was 56.7°C (134°F), measured at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913. Death Valley’s extreme heat comes from its below-sea-level depth, dry air, and surrounding mountains that trap and radiate heat. Other contenders for “hottest place” include the Lut Desert in Iran and parts of the Sahara, where satellites have measured even higher ground-surface temperatures — up to about 80.8°C — though these measure the land, not the air. For sustained heat, the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest inhabited places, averaging around 34–35°C year-round.