Dear Tom,
Where were the world’s hottest and coldest temperatures recorded? How do Chicago’s hottest and coldest temperatures compare?
David Williams Plano
Dear David,
Of all the world’s locations that are likely candidates for extreme temperature occurrences, two places invariably rank above all others: deserts for heat and the polar regions for cold.
Among the world’s deserts, the Sahara is the largest. Stretching across the whole 3,200-mile span of north Africa, the Sahara Desert gives rise to the Earth’s largest area of extreme heat, and it is the site of the world’s highest temperature: 136(degrees)F at El Azizia, Libya, on September 13, 1922.
The Earth’s north and south polar regions are its coldest places, and the Antarctic icecap is the largest and most bitterly cold area of the two. It is also the site of the world’s lowest temperature: -129(degrees) at Vostok, Antarctica, on July 21, 1983.
Chicago’s highest temperature, 105(degrees)F recorded on July 24, 1934, is 31(degrees) lower than the planet’s highest reading. Chicago’s lowest temperature, -27(degrees) on January 20, 1985, is 102(degrees) higher than the planet’s lowest reading.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His weather forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN News at noon and 9 p.m.
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