Death Valley Hits 130 Degrees

On Sunday, August 17th, California’s Death Valley reached 130 degrees, which if confirmed, could potentially be the highest temperature recorded on Earth since 1913 in the Death Valley. The temperature was hit at 3:41 pm during a scorching heatwave in the West. The National Weather Service tweeted about the historic temperature and stated “this is the first time since 1913 that Death Valley has reached 130 degrees.  In July 2013, it last reached 129 degrees.  If valid, it would be the hottest August temperature at the site by 3 degrees.”

In an interview with the Washington Post Randy Cerveny, leader of the World Meteorological Organization’s weather and climate extremes team, said he has reason to believe that the temperature readings of 130 degrees were in fact accurate. Amid the heatwave, around fifty-two million people remain under warnings of heat alerts in the West. Temperatures could reach anywhere between 110-130 degrees as the heat is estimated to last throughout the week.