Death Valley Reaches 130 Degrees, Possibly Hottest Temperature On Planet Since 1913
DEATH VALLEY (CBSLA) — The hottest place on the planet may have been right here in California on Sunday.
According to the National Weather Service, Death Valley's Furnace Creek reached a preliminary high temperature of 130 degrees at 3:41 p.m. Sunday. If the temperature is verified, it would be the hottest temperature on the planet since July 10, 1913, when a temperature of 134 degrees was also observed at Furnace Creek, which was previously known as Greenland Ranch.
The National Weather Service will test the sensor at Furnace Creek to verify it is working correctly and a climate extremes committee will be convened to verify the data in order to verify the 130-degree reading.
According to Death Valley National Park, it was so hot at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center that the display monitor glitched and showed a temperature that was a few degrees hotter, due to its sensor being closer to radiant heat from the metal posts.
The National Park Service says temperatures could reach 130 degrees again Monday, and hover in the 120s throughout this week.
"Working at a park that is the hottest place on Earth is really exciting," Mike Reynolds, a park superintendent, said in a statement. "We definitely come together as a community to celebrate these records and the uniqueness of living here but also quickly learn not to touch metal surfaces, like car doors, that have been out in the sun."
According to the NWS, Sunday's temperature at Death Valley also broke the previous high temperature record of 125 degrees set on Aug. 16, 1994. If Sunday's high is verified, it would also break the monthly record for August of 127 degrees, which was set in 1933, 1993 and 2017.
All of California is under a Flex Alert through at least Wednesday, and scientists warn this week could see one of the biggest heat waves seen this decade.
