Current Heat Waves Can Break The Hotst Temperature On Earth

UNSPLASH/Arto Marttinen ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) revealed a record high temperature could have been resolved due to heat waves that hit the southern US, Mediterranean, North Africa, Middle East, and several countries in Asia.

WMO said several countries could break their respective national highs.

Hot weather is expected to increase in the middle of this week in a number of Mediterranean regions, including Greece and Turkey.

"If there are reports of new extreme temperatures during the heat wave, we will immediately issue an initial assessment and then evaluate it in detail as part of our careful verification process," Randall Cerveny, an extreme WMO weather and climate observer reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Tuesday, July 18.

"Climate change and temperature rise have sparked a spike in weather record reports and extreme climates, especially hot," said Cerveny.

"We have to make sure these records are verified for scientific purposes and accuracy."

According to the WMO Weather Archives and Extreme Temperatures, the hottest temperature ever recorded occurred on July 10, 1913 at Kharnace Creek, Death Valley, California, at 56.7 Celsius.

WMO is currently validating temperature measurements of 54.4 Celsius taken in Death Valley, California on August 16, 2020, and July 9, 2021.

If certain, this will be the hottest temperature on Earth since 1931 and the third hottest temperature ever recorded.

"Both sensors in Death Valley in 2020 and 2021 must be dismantled and sent to an independent testing calibration laboratory. One of the tests has been completed, and we are waiting for the second test," said Cerveny.

For the European region, the record for the hottest temperatures held by Sicily, which reached 48.8 Celsius, on August 11, 2021. According to WMO, there is a possibility that this record will break in the next few days.