Situated in the Sahara Desert, the city of Ouargla, Algeria may have just experienced Africa’s highest temperature ever recorded.
According to Axios, the potentially recording breaking temperature of 124 degrees Fahrenheit, or 51 degrees Celsius was caused by a heat dome. The dome forces air to be pushed towards the ground, which generated a higher temperature.
Despite this dangerously high climate, the Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang blog mentions that more extreme temperatures have been recorded on the continent.
There are some doubts about the authenticity of the reports because unreliable readings have been an issue in the past.
Tunisia currently holds the record for the world’s warmest day at 131 degrees Fahrenheit, or 55 degrees Celsius. Observed on July 7, 1931, the record has since come under scrutiny by the meteorology community.
Weather Underground’s Records experts, including French meteorologist Etienne Kapikian, believe that Morocco is home to the hottest day ever recorded. Set in 1961 in Marrakech, temperatures reached 122.5 degrees Fahrenheit, or 50.3 degrees Celsius.
In order for Algeria’s latest heat wave to be considered Africa’s hottest recorded temperature, Tunisia’s record will first have to be debunked and Ouargla’s needs to be confirmed.
Even though Africa is home to the hottest thermal readings in the world, they are not alone in this global warm front. The New York Times recently reported that a deadly heat killed 33 people in Quebec.
The University of California Los Angeles also set a new high-temperature record of 111 degrees Fahrenheit on July 6th. As temperatures continue to soar, Southern California is experiencing wildfires caused by the heat and aridity.
Severe weather like this only further proves the imminent threat of climate change and this dangerously high heat is affecting the entire world.
With devastating weather phenomena like hurricanes, droughts and heat waves that cause wildfires, the influences of climate change are omnipresent.
Featured Image via Flickr.
