The hottest and coldest temperatures around the world are like the biggest ice cream cone and the hottest oven you've ever seen, they're the extremes that make everything else feel just right.
Imagine every place on Earth has a thermometer, and it’s always checking what the temperature is. Some thermometers get really excited when it's super hot or super cold, and those are the ones we remember as records.
How Temperature Records Work
- When it gets hotter than anyone has ever recorded before, that becomes the new hottest temperature record.
- When it gets colder than anyone has ever recorded before, that becomes the new coldest temperature record.
These records are like high-fives from nature. For example, in Death Valley, it's so hot sometimes you can feel the sun on your face like a giant hug, and that’s where some of the hottest records live!
In places like Antarctica, it gets so cold you can see your breath freeze in the air, and that’s where some of the coldest records are made.
Every time someone breaks a record, it's like they're saying, "I'm the best at being hot (or cold) right now!"
Examples
- In Antarctica, a sensor records -89.2°C, one of the coldest temperatures ever measured.
- A weather station in Siberia tracks extreme cold for months during winter.
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See also
- How Does Lowest Temperature Recorded In History From Different Countries Work?
- How Does Antarctica vs Sahara - Could You Survive 1 Year In Extreme Temperatures Work?
- How Climate Change causes Extreme Weather Events?
- How Does New evidence shows human activity causes increase in extreme weather Work?
- Heatwaves: how hot can it get?