Al Jazeera analyzed 20 years of climate data from more than 1,200 cities around the world. Here are the findings:
Data released earlier this month by the US National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA) showed that last month was the hottest June on Earth since global records began in 1850.
June 2024 wasn’t just too hot, it became the 13th consecutive month in which the world’s highest temperature record was broken.
Heat waves are becoming more frequent, and cities are seeing an increasing number of days with temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
But where are the highest mercury levels, and how does your city compare to other cities around the world?
In the following infographic series, Al Jazeera ranks the highest temperatures recorded in over 1,200 cities around the world between 2004 and 2023.
Where do you think your country ranks?
If you’ve never experienced 50°C (122°F) or 40°C (104°F) heat, it’s hard to understand how hot it is.
Of the 1,283 cities we analyzed, 585 had maximum temperatures above 40°C (104°F), and 19 reached a maximum temperature of at least 50°C (122°F).
With that in mind, where do you think your city ranks?
Select the closest city and drag the slider to guess.
What is the hottest city?
The highest temperatures recorded in the past 20 years were recorded in just five cities in four Middle Eastern countries.
- Iran – 7
- Iraq – 6 times
- Kuwait – 5 times
- Saudi Arabia – 2 times
These cities are located about 23.5 degrees north of the equator along the Tropic of Cancer, an imaginary line that receives the most direct sunlight.
Plus, they’re all located in the desert, very close to sea level where heat radiates.
The Iranian city of Ahvaz has recorded its highest temperature seven times in the past 20 years, consistently exceeding 50°C.
Just 120km (75 miles) away, in Iraq’s Basra, temperatures have been the hottest on earth six times, with the city recording a scorching 53C (127F) in 2022.
Please keep in mind that these official temperatures were recorded in the shade, so temperatures outside may be higher.
A city where temperatures regularly reach 50°C
In the past 20 years, 19 cities in 15 countries recorded maximum temperatures of 50 °C (122 °F) or higher.
Basra, Iraq, recorded at least 129 days with temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, Ahvaz, Iran, 84 days, and Jarrah, Kuwait, 83 days.
The graph below shows all the cities that have had temperatures above 50°C in the last 20 years.
Temperature characteristics of your city
If you’ve ever wondered how the maximum temperatures in your city compare to other cities around the world, the chart below should give you some idea.
Here we’ve calculated how many days per year each city has maximum temperatures that fall within various ranges.
For example, Aswan, Egypt, recorded 10 days with average annual temperatures between 10 and 20 °C (50 and 68 °F), 102 days with average annual temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F), 127 days with average annual temperatures between 30 and 40 °C (86 and 104 °F), and 126 days with average annual temperatures between 40 and 50 °C (104 and 122 °F).
These temperature characteristics are displayed in regions around the world.
Explore more data for over 1,200 cities below.