New February Heat Record for the Northern Hemisphere Set

New February Heat Record for the Northern Hemisphere Set

On February 27, Abu Na’Ama, Sudan measured a temperature of 44.5°C (112.1°F), the warmest reliably measured temperature on record for the month of February anywhere in the northern hemisphere.

The previous record was 44.4°C (111.9°F) measured at Kayes, Mali and also at Kiffa, Mauritania on earlier dates. There are three reported higher February temperatures I am aware of from the colonial period (1924-1940) including 47.2°C (117.0°F) at Bamako, Mali, 46.1°C (115°F) at Abecher, Chad, and 45.0°C (113.0°F) at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. All of these are not reliable as little is known about the exposure of the thermometers (see comment below from Max). The Bamako figure is especially unlikely since its January record for this POR was just 41.7°C (107°F) and for March 42.8°C (109°F). February is not normally their hottest month.

The heat wave has also affected Ghana where Navrongo reached 42.7°C (108.9°F) on March 1st. This is close to the all-time record high temperature for the country (any month) of 43.0°C (109.4°F) also set at Navrongo on an earlier date (this is an update, see comment below from Max). Record heat also engulfed the Arabian Peninsula on February 24 and 25 when Makah (Mecca) hit 39.2°C (102.6°F). This is the warmest February temperature on record for the Arabian Peninsula (the normal high temperature in February here is 29°C/85°F).

Southeast Asia and southern China have also been experiencing unusual warmth recently. On February 28th Prome, Myanmar (Burma) reached 41.4°C (106.5°F), not too far from the Asian continental February record of 42.8°C (109.0°F) set at Broach, Gujarat State, India on February 28, 1953.

KUDOS: Thanks to Maximiliano Herrera for the above information.

Christopher C. Burt
Weather Historian