Heat in Qatar not as bad as Kuwait

If you’ve been complaining that it’s been too hot in Qatar recently, I’m afraid your grumbling has been misplaced! The highest temperature that we’ve reached in Doha this year is 48C (118F), and this was on July 1. This is obviously not very hot at all, because in Kuwait on July 22, the temperature soared to an eye-watering 54C (129.2F). In meteorological circles, this temperature is causing quite a stir, because it could well be something of a record.
I’ve lived in Doha for nearly ten years and only once has the temperature here climbed over 50C (112F). Even then, the temperature only just scraped over 50C, climbing to 50.4C (113F) in July 2010. That day it was certainly extremely hot and I won’t be sorry if I never experience weather as hot as that again.
It is fairly rare for the temperature anywhere in the world to get above 50C and our temperature don’t really get much hotter than that. Currently, the highest temperature ever reported was 56.7C (134F) at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913. Previously it had been accepted that Al Aziziya in the suburbs of Tripoli, Libya, held the unenviable record with a measurement of 58C (136.4F). This incredible temperature was recorded back in September 1922, but this measurement was disqualified by the World Meteorological Organisation 90 years later.
Discussions with the Libyan Meteorological Centre revealed that Libya didn’t officially recognise the data, and this prompted a lengthy investigation by the World Meteorologist Organisation. Records showed that a new meteorologist took over the observations at Al Aziziya just two days before the extreme temperature was reported.
As soon as this new member of staff started, the maximum temperatures began to exceed the other temperatures on the Libyan coastline by an average of 7C. This was an important observation, because the type of thermometer that had been used to record the temperature (a Bellani-Six thermometer) had a little slide which measured the maximum temperature. The bottom of this slide gives the reading of maximum temperature, but if the top is used in error, there is an error of about 7C (12F).
Re-analysis of the weather conditions on that day flagged up a significant difference from the recorded temperature and this prompted the international group of meteorologists at the World Meteorological Organisation to come to the conclusion that the record was not sound.
This means that Death Valley now holds the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on earth. There is no doubt that the weather in California on the day in question was very hot. Oscar Denton, the caretaker for the Greenland Ranch, stated that it was so hot that swallows in full flight had fallen to the earth dead. However, there are doubts about the value of the reading, because the temperature recorded at nearby stations were significantly lower.
It has been suggested that the temperature could have been exaggerated by a sandstorm that raged that day. As we know from living in Qatar, normally a sandstorm would shield the ground from the rays of the sun, making it feel less hot. However, researchers believe that this sandstorm caused superheated sand and dust particles to hit the thermometer, giving it a superficially high reading.
Certainly sand can get much hotter than the surrounding air.  The highest ground temperature reported in Death Valley was 94C (201F) in July 1972, on a day when the maximum air temperature was 53C (128F). This hot sand could affect the air temperature readings if it comes into contact with the thermometer. Meteorological instruments are usually kept in a standard instrument shelter which has slatted sides to protect them from direct sunlight whilst simultaneously allowing the air to circulate. It is therefore possible that during a strong wind these slats could allow the hot sand to enter the housing and come into contact with the thermometer.
If this slightly dubious record were ever to be discarded, then Kuwait’s temperature would officially be the highest temperature ever recorded on earth. It would be a joint three-way tie with Furnace Creek in Death Valley, measured on June 30, 2013, and Tirat Tsvi in Israel, measured in 1942. The measurement from Israel, however, is also dubious. It seems that measuring a temperature is more difficult than any of us could ever have imagined!
Whether Kuwait’s temperature ends up being the highest ever recorded or not, it will certainly be the highest anywhere outside of North America. The trouble is, as the temperatures around the global continue to rise, it could well be a temperature record that is toppled soon.
Fortunately there is no sign of Doha being the next city to claim this record. The humidity is stifling and it’s always more difficult to heat humid air, as the water in the air has to be heated as well as simply the air itself and this takes a lot of energy. Therefore our temperature will remain around 40C for the next few days; it may be hot, but at least it’s not breaking records.