World s hottest Countries and Places

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World’s hottest Countries and Places

Anupama Nair

A few days ago, I had written an article about those “haseen wadiyan” in India. To many, India is considered as a country where it is always hot, which is one of the biggest myths about the nation. Indian climate is as diverse as its culture and its people. India is also home to some hilly regions where it can be colder than most of the most famous winter destinations around the globe. It might surprise many to hear that the Indian Subcontinent does not feature in the ten hottest countries of the world. In this article, I will tell you how this is calculated. It is better to avoid these countries for your next trip.

The hottest countries are both land-locked, desert-covered nations and mostly islands. The continent of Africa features mostly in the list, however there are some other countries in each continent (except Antarctica) – calculated according to the estimated average yearly temperature. The countries that feature are those that are hot throughout the year, rather than those that just have extreme summers. The climate experts said this is no easy task as there are considerable regional variations within some countries itself. They have also taken Global Warming into consideration also.

What is Global Warming? Global warming is an aspect of climate change, referring to the long-term rise of  the Earth’s temperatures, mainly from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, that pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The main gases that cause the greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor (which all occur naturally), and fluorinated gases (which are synthetic). Global warming is expected to have far-reaching, everlasting and distressing consequences for planet Earth.

Josef Werne, a professor of Geology and Environmental Science at the University of Pittsburgh, stated "We can observe this happening in real time in many places. Ice is melting in both polar ice caps and mountain glaciers. Lakes around the world, including Lake Superior, are warming rapidly — in some cases faster than the surrounding environment. Animals are changing migration patterns and plants are changing the dates of activity". Scientists project that extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, blizzards and rainstorms will continue to occur more often and with larger intensity due to Global Warming.

We can see from the start of the millennium, each year from 2014 has been recorded as the hottest year in History. The year 2021, broke all previous records. Most of the continents in the Northern Hemisphere, recorded record temperatures in June. A heat dome was created in United Sates and Canada last month, causing temperatures as high as 47°C. I am not talking about Delhi or Lahore but Canada, a place where Summer are always pleasant.

What is heat dome? A heat dome is formed when the atmosphere acts as a lid or cap and traps hot ocean air beneath it. It is an area of high pressure stuck over a region. According, to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, heat dome formation is more likely during the La Niña (a weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean that occurs when waters are cool in the east and warm in the western Pacific) years. This year is unfortunately, a La Niña year. Due to the temperature discrepancy, winds blow dense, tropical western air eastward. That warm air eventually becomes stuck in the jet stream, a circulation of air that travels counterclockwise around the globe, and ends up on the Wesern Coast of the United States.

The heat waves bring a lot of sunlight and sinking air that heats up as it compresses. Western Canada usually experiences such heat waves in July or August beginning, however this year it has occurred as early as June. Lytton, a town in British Columbia recorded a temperature of 47°C on 28 June this year — which was the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada as per NASA's Earth Observatory. This year record heat was reported in Europe too. Countries like Denmark and Sweden reported sweltering heat.

As you are aware, countries closer to the equator (zero degrees latitude) have warmer temperatures year-round compared to countries farther north or south of the equator. Countries that are further north in the Northern Hemisphere or south in the Southern Hemisphere experience four seasons and a wide range of temperatures, including significantly colder temperatures in the winter. Because of the Earth's tilt on its axis, the polar regions receive the sun's rays at a slanted angle, however, the equator receives the rays more directly over a smaller area, making the rays more concentrated and hotter.

Now, let me take you on a journey to the hottest countries in the world. Burkina Faso in Western Africa is the hottest country in the world, with the average yearly temperature of around 28.25°C. The second hottest country Mali has an yearly average around 28.25°C. Next on the list is Kiribati, located in the Pacific Ocean. Kiribati is an island nation which is near the equator. The average temperature in the island is approximately 28.2°C.

Djibouti, in East Africa is the next in the list with average temperature of  around 28°C. The next country is Tuvalu the fourth smallest country in the world. Tuvalu, is also an island in the Pacific, with an average temperature of around 28°C. Senegal, a country in West Africa has an average temperature of around 27.8°C followed by Maldives and Mauritania at around 27.65°C. Palau an island in the Pacific, records a temperature of 27.6°C and Benin, a country in Africa has around 27.55°C. The countries in the Middle East are also considered in the list. Bahrain and Qatar records around 27.15°C and UAE around 27°C. Our neighbor Sri Lanka has annual temperature around 26°C. India and Pakistan records around 20°C. Canada and Russia has the lowest yearly temperature around -5.1°C

However, USA is home to the hottest place on earth called as Death Valley, in Furnace Creek Ranch where temperatures reached a world-record-breaking 56.7°C on 10 July 1913. More than a century later, this record remains unbroken. Places in Tunisia, Kuwait, Iran and Israel recorded around 54°C. Pakistan recorded 53.1°C The countries in the Middle East feature both in the countries with the hottest temperature as well as individual cities with 52.1°C. It is important to note that our cells start to die off at temperatures of around 41°C to 45°C but, it’s sometimes possible to survive higher temperatures as long as we stay at home in the comfort of our air conditioners and keep ourselves hydrated.

I for sure am extremely happy I do not live in one of the hottest countries in the world. If we do not control Global Warming, temperatures will become unbearable by the end of the century.

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There are 8 comments

  1. There is a hope in Indian tradition that is
    The climate of 60years fore ll come back as it was
    Is it scientifically correct.

    Reply
  2. Cheng khong Gohain |

    What will be in the 100 years if this.trend is continue ? The environmentalist should research on this matter.

    Reply

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