Across the globe, hot days are getting hotter and more frequent, though some regions have been hit harder by the soaring temperatures than others. In the
Middle East, residents are used to seeing the mercury rise above the 50°C mark, for a few days at least, in the peak of the summer. Just last week, temperatures in Kuwait broke the 50°C threshold, making it the hottest place on earth. Last year in the UAE on an afternoon in early June, residents living in the
Sweihan area of Al Ain had to cool off indoors as the temperature soared to 51.8°C. And nearly 20 years ago to this day in 2002, the UAE’s temperature reached its highest on record - a sweltering 52.1°C. Recorded inland, away from the breezy coast, weather forecasters were forced to send advisories to residents to take shade
and drink plenty of fluids to keep safe during the bout of hot weather. Record-high temperatures in the summer are commonplace now as the atmosphere continues to hold on to increasing amounts of heat. As global warming continues to accelerate at an alarming rate, it isn't likely to change any time
soon. This week, Spain was hit with its first heatwave of the year - and highest temperature for the time of the year in over a decade - when temperatures climbed above 40°C in some areas of the country. And in the
UK, a nation usually fraught with grey skies and rain, residents were out in their droves as the mercury rose to the early thirties during the hottest day of the year so far.Heat rising globally
Here, The National has listed the top 10 hottest cities around the world as per the recorded temperatures on Thursday at noon local time. Temperatures forecast for the western world were taken into account.
Hottest cities in the world:
Doha, Qatar - 45°C
Kuwait City, Kuwait - 42°C
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 42°C
Lahore, Pakistan - 41°C
Islamabad, Pakistan – 41°C
Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates - 40°C
New Delhi, India – 40°C
Baghdad, Iraq – 40°C
Tashkent, Uzbekistan – 37°C
Kolkata, India - 35°C
source: timeanddate.com
Updated: June 17, 2022, 10:30 AM
Two major cities contend for the title of hottest city in the United States. The city that comes out on top depends on how you measure heat.
Phoenix, Arizona excels at extreme hot weather. It consistently ranks number one for the most days a year when temperatures rise into the 90s or 100s Fahrenheit. It's the only large city to measure over 100 days a year of temperatures in the 100s, and over 150 days a year of at least 90 degrees.
Miami, Florida challenges Phoenix for top spot on hottest year-round temperatures. Miami doesn't normally get 100-degree weather. But the southern Florida city stays hot enough all year to run average temperatures that are slightly above Phoenix's.
These ratings of hottest cities use long-term temperature averages, based on weather data collected from 1991 to 2020 for the US National Centers for Environmental Information. The major cities included in these weather rankings represent the 51 metropolitan areas in the United States with the most people, all those with over one million residents in 2010, according to the US Census Bureau.
Highest Temperatures
Most major cities do get 100–degree temperatures. But for most of them, it's uncommon, typically showing up just one or two days a year. For the cities listed here, temperatures in the 100s happen more often.
Number of days per year when temperature climbs to at least 100 °F (37.8 °C).Phoenix, Arizona | 111 |
Las Vegas, Nevada | 78 |
Austin, Texas | 29 |
Sacramento, California | 23 |
Dallas, Texas | 22 |
Riverside, California | 22 |
San Antonio, Texas | 18 |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 13 |
Salt Lake City, Utah | 8 |
Houston, Texas | 3 |
Jacksonville, Florida | 3 |
Kansas City, Missouri | 3 |
Memphis, Tennessee | 3 |
St. Louis, Missouri | 3 |
City links take you to more detailed information on temperatures for that location. You can also view a summary of temperature averages for all major US cities and city temperatures in recent years and a complete list of America's 51 largest urban centers.
Some, cities that rarely, if ever, see a day above 100 degrees do endure a lot of days in the 90s. These cities average 90 or more days a year when the thermometer reaches at least 90 °F.
Number of days per year when temperature climbs to at least 90 °F (32 °C).Phoenix, Arizona | 173 |
Las Vegas, Nevada | 137 |
Austin, Texas | 123 |
San Antonio, Texas | 122 |
Orlando, Florida | 111 |
Dallas, Texas | 108 |
Houston, Texas | 101 |
Riverside, California | 101 |
Jacksonville, Florida | 96 |
Tampa, Florida | 94 |
Miami, Florida | 91 |
Sacramento, California | 90 |
Warmest Climates
Ten major US cities have a daily mean temperature of 70 °F (21 °C) or more.
US cities with the highest daily mean temperatureMiami, Florida | 77 | 25 |
Phoenix, Arizona | 76 | 24 |
Tampa, Florida | 75 | 24 |
Orlando, Florida | 74 | 23 |
Jacksonville, Florida | 71 | 22 |
Houston, Texas | 71 | 22 |
New Orleans, Louisiana | 71 | 21 |
Las Vegas, Nevada | 70 | 21 |
Austin, Texas | 70 | 21 |
San Antonio, Texas | 70 | 21 |
Hottest Days
The hottest US cities have daily high temperatures, averaged throughout the year, that are in the 80s. For Miami, Tampa, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego, that means every day is a least 50 °F, and all but a few days each year are over 60 °F.
Cities with the highest maximum temperature, averaged for a yearPhoenix, Arizona | 87 | 31 |
Miami, Florida | 84 | 29 |
Tampa, Florida | 83 | 28 |
Orlando, Florida | 83 | 28 |
Austin, Texas | 81 | 27 |
Las Vegas, Nevada | 81 | 27 |
San Antonio, Texas | 80 | 27 |
Jacksonville, Florida | 80 | 27 |
Houston, Texas | 80 | 27 |
Riverside, California | 80 | 26 |