
The theoretical maximum possible ground surface temperature has been estimated to be between 90 and 100 ☌ (194 and 212 ☏) for dry, darkish soils of low thermal conductivity. A ground temperature of 93.9 ☌ (201.0 ☏) was recorded in Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California, United States on 15 July 1972 this may be the highest natural ground surface temperature ever recorded.

A ground temperature of 84 ☌ (183.2 ☏) has been recorded in Port Sudan, Sudan. Temperatures measured directly on the ground may exceed air temperatures by 30 to 50 ☌ (54 to 90 ☏). The following lists include all officially confirmed claims measured by those methods. The standard measuring conditions for temperature are in the air, 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) above the ground, and shielded from direct sunlight intensity (hence the term, x degrees "in the shade"). This list does not include remotely sensed observations such as satellite measurements, since those values are not considered official records. Each of these records is understood to be the record value officially observed, as these records may have been exceeded before modern weather instrumentation was invented, or in remote areas without an official weather station.

Many weather records are measured under specific conditions-such as surface temperature and wind speed-to keep consistency among measurements around the Earth. This is a list of weather records, a list of the most extreme occurrences of weather phenomena for various categories.
