Canada sits in a climate zone that has faced dramatic extremes. The record high for the country is 45°C, 113°F, a temperature reached in the towns of Midale and Yellow Grass in Saskatchewan on July 5, 1937. That day is often recalled as a reminder that heat waves can press against the prairies and endure for days. The Canadian figure serves as a baseline when comparing other places that have reported hotter days, shaping a global picture of heat in the modern era. The following sections pull back the curtain on how Canada’s hottest day stacks up against the hottest days measured on each continent and in principal hot spots around the world.
Africa has produced some of the fiercest numbers. The widely cited high of 57.8°C, 136°F, occurred at Al Aziziyah in Libya on September 13, 1922. This record is commonly listed among the hottest temperatures ever recorded, though professional meteorological historians note that early instruments and site conditions can influence readings. Regardless, the number underscores how arid, sun baked regions in northern Africa can yield extreme heat when the sky stays clear and winds are light. Those conditions produce days that push equipment and people to their limits.
Antarctica rarely experiences warmth, yet the Vanda Station on the Scott Coast registered 15°C, 59°F, on January 5, 1974. That figure shows that even the coldest continents can surprise with warmth during atypical weather patterns. Ocean currents and shifting atmospheric patterns around the southern tip of the world help shape these unusual extremes, offering a counterpoint to how heat is distributed on land.
Asia records a high of 53.9°C, 129.0°F, at Tirat Tzvi in Israel on June 21, 1942. This reading stands out in regions where dry inland valleys and sun baked landscapes routinely reach high temperatures when a stubborn high pressure system dominates. The data illustrate how scorching days can emerge in the eastern Mediterranean basin under clear skies and persistent sunshine.
Australia reports 50.7°C, 123.3°F, from Oodnadatta in South Australia on January 2, 1960. International summaries point out that measurement standards played a role, and that later reports from nonstandard instruments suggested a higher value at Cloncurry, Queensland, on January 16, 1889, amounting to 53°C, 128°F. This nuance matters because instrument type and siting influence extreme readings, especially in remote desert landscapes whose heat can be fierce during peak daylight hours.
Europe’s record sits at 48°C, 118.4°F, measured in Athens, Greece, on July 10, 1977. Summers in southern Europe bring heat waves that press into urban areas, testing public health systems and infrastructure. The Athens reading highlights how a metropolitan climate can magnify heat when heat builds over days in a crowded city.
North America holds a high of 56.7°C, 134°F, observed at Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913. That landmark stands as a warning about desert heat where stretches of blazing sun and dry air combine to push thermometers to extreme levels. The Death Valley record is a reminder that high desert conditions and intense sunshine drive dramatic daytime temperatures when mid summer heat arrives.
South America records 49.1°C, 120.4°F, at Villa de María in Córdoba, Argentina, on January 2, 1920. The combination of intense sun, clear skies, and arid conditions helps explain how this part of the hemisphere reaches high daytime temperatures, even as rainfall patterns and regional climates shift with the seasons.