Seemingly intense heat can be found in areas across the globe. If you were to ask anyone who lives in the southern half of North America where the hottest place on the globe was, they would surely tell you that it is in their backyard during July. As hot as some places may seem, a mere 95-100 degrees would be a cool day in Death Valley, CA. If you were to visit the following four places on the map, it would be wise to stay indoors.
1. Death Valley, California, United States: The infamously hot Death Valley is located in the Mojave desert in Eastern California. The valley’s basin-like shape traps hot air and creates an oven effect, which is the cause of the intense summer temperatures. The summer season is seemingly year-round, but the hottest temperatures, (110-134 degrees Fahrenheit), are between May and September. Anyone who travels through Death Valley and expects to survive must have ample amounts of water on hand.
2. Dallol, Ethiopia: What was once a salt mining town has now become a desolate wasteland where few still travel, by camel, to collect salt. Dallol has an annual temperature of 96 degrees Fahrenheit. The summer season, between May and September, bring temperatures between 105-117 degrees Fahrenheit. When the town was inhabited, settlers built most buildings from salt blocks that were mined there.
3. Ghadames, Libya: Ghadames is an oasis town in the middle of Libya. With temperatures in the summer months reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit, the people who currently live there are required to take several precautions to escape the heat. The houses are made of thick mud, roofs are connected, and streets are covered, all to avoid the blazing sun.
4. Kebili, Tunisia: Kebili is another oasis town located in south Tunisia. This town is known for its rich heritage, vacationing (no thank you!), and of course, its high temperatures. Kebili’s record high is 131 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average temperatures are not much cooler, ranking at around 110 degrees in the summer months of May through August. Records of inhabitants in Tunisia date back over 200,000 years, so many methods of keeping cool have been practiced and passed down from generation to generation. The most common method is keeping water stock-piled in order to stay hydrated.
If keeping cool is your preference, it is wise to steer-clear of any of these four locations. If you do decide to take the journey into what some refer to as “Gateways to Hell” be sure to bring plenty of water and maybe brush up on your mud-house-building skills!