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54C Recorded In Kuwait Likely Hottest On Record In Asia (foxnews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the end-is-nigh dept.

An anonymous reader writes from an Associated Press report: The UN weather agency said it suspects that the 54C temperature recorded in Kuwait has set a record for the eastern hemisphere. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said Tuesday it is setting up a committee to look into whether the temperature recorded last Thursday in Mitrabah, Kuwait, was a new high for the eastern hemisphere and in Asia. WMO's Omar Baddour said it is "likely" to be an eastern hemisphere record. Last week, swathes of the Middle East and North Africa and were hit by heatwaves that have become more frequent over the last half-century, and Earth is fresh off the hottest six months on record. WMO says the world record high of 56.7C was recorded at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, in 1913. In the UAE, highs of 49C are expected inland on Wednesday. Last year, the mercury rose above 50C in Sweiham, near Al Ain.An article on Citylab, citing NOAA's latest analysis notes that it was the warmest June in the modern history and also the 14th consecutive month of unprecedented hotness.

1 of 355 comments (clear)

  1. Re: That's 129.2F if you're interested. by saloomy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It depends on the wind. No, seriously. I'm from Kuwait and grew up there through high school. If the wind comes in from the west to east, the air coming from KSA or Iraq is dry. If it blows east to west, it can be very humid. I can also tell you that Kuwait has some of the most capable infrastructure to deal with that kind of weather. Your parking structures in most malls are air conditioned, and they have malls that are converted city streets with glass and construction fabric making them indoor so they can be air conditioned. People also acclimate pretty well over there. When I return for a visit from SoCal, it's incredible how much better some of my cousins can handle the heat better than I can. That wasn't the case when I lived there. I remember reading about it taking a few weeks for your blood to become thinner and more capillaries to grow in your skin which helps you cool off.