6 of the top 10 hottest countries are located in Africa and near or in the Sahara Desert (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Although all of the Earth’s countries located away from the equatorial regions experience seasons, some with winters and summers that are more extreme than others. There are plenty of areas on Earth that spend the whole year in incredibly hot temperatures, as these 10 countries are the hottest on Earth.
Calculated by averaging their maximum and minimum daily temperatures, recorded between 1961 and 1990
All of these are either located on the African continent, or are island nations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
10) Benin – 81.59°F (27.55°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Located in western Africa, Benin is bordered by Nigeria on the east and Togo on the west.
The majority of its population lives on its southern side, which borders the Bight of Benin, part of the northernmost tropical part of the Atlantic Ocean. The country’s interior is mainly made up of a savannah-type environment.
Highest recorded temperature in Benin = 113°F (45°C)
Average yearly daytime temperature: 91.4°F (33°C)
Atakora - a village in Benin (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
9) Palau – 81.68°F (27.60°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Palau is an island nation that is situated in the western Pacific Ocean, with the islands of the Philippines to the east, and Indonesia to the south. Located between 2.8°and 8° north of the Equator, this is a great example of a tropical island that experiences a guaranteed warm and humid climate all year round.
However, another factor comes into play in terms of maintaining the heat – the warm temperature of the surrounding Pacific Ocean ensures that temperatures do not drop quickly at night after spending a day being heated by the overhead Sun.
Hottest recorded temperature = 95°F (35°C)
Average yearly daytime temperature: 87°F (31°C)
At night, the average temperature does not drop by more than 10°F (5.5 °C)
Annual average dew point temperature: 76°F (24.4°C) which is over 13% more humid than the most humid city in the United States (Key West, FL)
Palau archipelago (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
8) Maldives – 81.77°F (27.65°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Located in the Indian Ocean to the south-west of India and Sri Lanka, the Maldives are a chain of small islands that are around 541 miles (870 km) in length. With its capital Malé, situated at around 4.2° north of the Equator, it is not surprising that these islands experience incredibly warm and humid weather on a constant basis.
The Republic of Maldives are 300 miles south-west of India
Maximum elevation of the entire island chain = 2 meters
Highest recorded temperature = 99°F (37°C)
Average yearly daytime temperature: 86°F (30°C)
The Maldives archipelago consists of 1192 islands, most of which are so tiny you can spot the ocean from any spot.
7) Mauritania - 81.77°F (27.65°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Located in north-western Africa, it is understandable that Mauritania has such a high average temperature – much of it lies within the Sahara Desert, with the semi-arid Sahel region across the south of the country.
Bordered by Senegal to the south, Mali to the south and east, and the countries of Algeria and Western Sahara to the north, the western side of the country is most likely to be the coolest area, since it borders directly onto the Atlantic Ocean.
Yearly daily temperature ranges from 55°F to 104°F (13°C to 40°C)
Hottest recorded temperature in Mauritania = 119°F (48°C)
Average daytime temperature exceeds 100°F (38°C) over half the year
Terjît valley in Mauritania
6) Senegal – 82.13°F (27.85°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
With its northern section within the Sahel region, and a savannah landscape typifying much of the central and southern parts of the country, Senegal is placed at number six on this list.
Located in western Africa to the south of Mauritania, west of Mail and the north of Guinea, Senegal is in a prime position to receive hot weather.
Its close position to the Equator ensures that the country receives a hot climate on a constant basis.
Hottest recorded temperature in Senegal = 123°F (50.5 °C)
Average yearly daytime temperature exceeds 93°F (34°C) for the interior of the country
Saloum Delta National Park, Senegal
5) Tuvalu – 82.40°F (28.00°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Tuvalu is a country that is made up of 9 separate coral islands in the south-western Pacific Ocean, located around halfway between Australia and Hawaii.
Being surrounded by warm tropical waters, and situated at a latitude between -10° and -5° North, the conditions are perfect to allow for hot days and warm, humid nights, regardless of the time of year.
4th smallest nation in the world
Maximum elevation is 5 meters
Average temperature lies between 77ºF to 88°F (25ºC to 31ºC)
Rainfall varies from 2,700 mm per year in the northern islands to 3,500 mm in the southern
Highest recorded temperature in Tuvalu = 106°F (41°C)
Lowest recorded temperature = 68°F (20°C)
Yearly average dew-point of Funafuti (capital city): 77°F (25°F) or 3% more humid than Bangkok, Thailand.
Tuvalu Funafuti Atoll (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
4) Djibouti – 82.40°F (28.00°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Situated on the northern side of the Horn of Africa, Djibouti is an incredibly arid country that consists of almost entirely desert areas.
Bordered by Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, the country is located on the western end of the Gulf of Aden, which links to the Red Sea via the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Due to being around 12° to the north of the Equator, Djibouti endures incredibly hot weather.
During the hot months, May to September, the temperature ranges from 97°F to 117 °F (36°C to 47 °C)
Highest recorded temperature in Djibouti = 115°F (46°C)
Lowest recorded temperature = 61°F (16°C)
Djibouti City, Djibouti
Summer daytime temperatures hover around 104°F (40°C), while at night, they drop to 86°F (30°C) in the country's capital
Lake Abha in Djibouti. This is a salt lake.
3) Kiribati – 82.76°F (28.20°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
“The climate of Kiribati is hot and humid, with very little variation in maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the year.”
An island nation in the central Pacific Ocean, Kiribati consists of 9 different islands that straddle the Equator line. With the Sun almost directly overhead the entire year, and the warm and tropical Pacific waters surrounding the islands, the ingredients are perfect in allowing for year-round heat and humidity.
Christmas Island and lagoon in Kiribati
The average elevation is less than 3 meters above sea level
Highest recorded temperature = 113°F (45°C)
The average yearly daytime temperature: 88°F (31°C)
Tarawa, the capital city of Kiribati is one of the most humid cities in the world and has an annual average dew point temperature of 75.4°F | 24.1°C which is even muggier than Bangkok, Thailand yearly average of 74°F | 23.3°C
2) Mali – 82.85°F (28.25°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Mali (Image Source: The World Factbook)
Mali, the second hottest nation in the world, is a landlocked country in western Africa, bordered by several countries including Mauritania, Senegal and Burkina Faso, which are also on this list.
Although the south-east of the country has a savanna-like landscape, much of the south lies within the Sahel region. However, the large northern extent of Mali lies within the Sahara Desert, with scorching hot days occurring for most of the year, peaking far above 110°F (43°C) between the months of June and September.
Combined with the hot and humid conditions of the savanna along the south of Mali, as well as the lack of fresh sea breezes, results in a country that suffers through incredibly stifling temperatures.
Mali is twice the size of the state of Texas (USA) and mostly lies in the Sahara Desert.
Highest recorded temperature = 130°F (54°C)
Average yearly daytime temperature: 88°F (31°C)
The average daytime temperature ranges from low 80s to low 100s°F (28 to 40°C)
Village Telly in Mali (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
1) Burkina Faso – 82.92°F (28.29°C)
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
The country with the highest average temperature on Earth, Burkina Faso, is a landlocked country in western Africa that borders the second hottest country of Mali.
Image Source: The World Factbook
In terms of its landscape, it can be loosely divided into two halves – with the south of the country being characterised by a savanna landscape, and the northern half consisting of the semi-arid Sahel region, Burkina Faso contains plenty of dryland environments.
The lack of a coastline close to the country also prevents any relatively cooler air from reaching the country from the Atlantic Ocean, which is located around 300 miles (480 km) to the south.
Highest recorded temperature = 117 °F (47°C)
Burkina Faso: 3 Climate Zones
Hot tropical savanna with a short rainy season (southern half)
Tropical hot semi-arid steppe climate (central and northern)
Small, hot desert in the north that borders the Sahara Desert
Village in Burkina Faso - The hottest country on the Earth
Bottom Line
Burkina Faso, a landlocked Sahelian country, is the hottest country in the world - with an average daily temperature of 83°F (29°C).
Located in the Sahara Desert, this western Africa nation gets blasted by heat, from the harmattan, a dry east wind that picks up a considerable amount of dust and heat from the Sahara.
Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, averages over 100°F (38°C) from March to May in the hot season. During the “cool” season, the temperature drops to an average of 90°F (32°C).
For comparison, this is nearly 20% warmer than Bangkok, Thailand.
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References and sources for hottest countries:
“Climate and Temperature Development.” Worlddata.info. www.worlddata.info
Fall, Souleymane, et al. “Analysis of Mean Climate Conditions in Senegal (1971–98).” Earth Interactions, vol. 10, no. 5, 1 Jan. 2006, pp. 1–40, 10.1175/ei158.1.
“Harmattan.” Wikipedia, 8 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmattan. Accessed 6 Feb. 2021.
“Hottest Countries in the World 2021.” Worldpopulationreview.com, worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/hottest-countries-in-the-world.
Idriss, Abdoulkader Ibrahim & Ahmed, Ramadan & Kassim, Rima & Idris, Abdou & Barutcu, Burak & Awalo, Abdoulhamid & AKINCI, T. Cetin. (2019). Suitability and evaluating wind speed probability distribution models in a hot climate: Djibouti case study. International Journal of Renewable Energy Research. 9. 1-11.
Madaleno, I.M. (2011). Climate change in the Pacific: Tuvalu case-study. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment. 144. 243-252. 10.2495/ECO110221.
McIver, Lachlan; Woodward, Alistair; Davies, Seren; Tibwe, Tebikau; Iddings, Steven. 2014. "Assessment of the Health Impacts of Climate Change in Kiribati" Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 11, no. 5: 5224-5240. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110505224
Naia, Marisa & Brito, José. (2021). Geographical Atlas of Mauritania.
“This Month in Climate History: Earth’s Hottest Temperature | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Formerly Known as National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).” Noaa.gov, 2012, www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/month-climate-history-earth%E2%80%99s-hottest-temperature.
“Where Is the Hottest Place on Earth?” Earthobservatory.nasa.gov, 5 Apr. 2012, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/HottestSpot.