When we thought of investigating the hottest place on Earth compared to the coldest, we imagined someone has thought of that.
Sure enough, Weather Extremes lists the day’s temperature extremes from a global perspective.
If you had to wager a guess, where might you think today’s hottest temps were?
If you guessed Death Valley, California, you’d be wrong. If you guessed Kirkuk, Iraq, you’d be right.
Indeed, it reached a scorching 47°C (116.6ºF) at Kirkuk Air Base.
Hottest Place on Earth – August 15, 2025
Kirkuk Air Base 47°C (116.6ºF)
Kirkuk in northern Iraq was blisteringly hot, with daily lows only reaching 40ºC, or 104ºF.
Coldest Place on Earth – August 15, 2025
Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station -60°C (-76ºF)
Meanwhile on the bottom of the planet, the famous South Pole station was positively frigid, at temperatures that could give you frostbite within 15 minutes.
The difference in temps between these two extremes is a whopping 192ºF, making them feel like totally different worlds. Both places are considered deserts, believe it or not.
