World meteorological organization assessment of the purported world record 58°C temperature extreme at el Azizia, Libya (13 September 1922)

Khalid I. El Fadli, Randall Cerveny, Christopher C. Burt, Philip Eden, David Parker, Manola Brunet, Thomas C. Peterson, Gianpaolo Mordacchini, Vinicio Pelino, Pierre Bessemoulin, José Luis Stella, Fatima Driouech, M. M. Abdel Wahab, Matthew B. Pace

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has invalidated the 90-year-old record for the world's highest temperature at El Aziza in south-southwest of Tripoli, Libya, due to problems with instrumentation, siting, and observational procedures. Many other reputable sources have also cited the Azizia record as the world's most extreme temperature. One of the major physical rationales for the acceptance of this temperature record has been given by Lamb who suggested that an exceptional föhn wind resulting from a severe thunderstorm far to the south could have created such a remarkable temperature. several researchers have started to evaluate critically the temperature extreme. The maximum temperature readings increase dramatically, while the minimums continue more or less within range. The daily excursions of temperature suddenly increase, with the September 24, 1922 diurnal temperature ranging from 11°to 45°C.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)199-204
Number of pages6
JournalBulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Volume94
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atmospheric Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'World meteorological organization assessment of the purported world record 58°C temperature extreme at el Azizia, Libya (13 September 1922)'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this