Death Valley soars to 130 degrees, potentially Earth’s highest temperature since at least 1931
clock In the midst of a historic heat wave in the West, the mercury in Death Valley, Calif., surged to a searing 130 degrees on Sunday afternoon, possibly setting a world record for the highest temperature ever observed during the month of August. If the temperature is valid, it would also rank among the top-three highest temperatures ever measured on the planet at any time and may, in fact, be the highest. The temperature in Death Valley hit 130 degrees at 3:41 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. If verified, the reading would break Death Valleys previous August record by three degrees, the Weather Service tweeted . Everything Ive seen so far indicates that is a legitimate observation, Randy Cerveny, who leads the World Meteorological Organizations weather and climate extremes team, wrote in an email. I am recommending that the World Meteorological Organization preliminarily accept the observation. In the upcoming weeks, we will, of course, be examining it in detail, along with the U.S. National Climate Extremes Committee, using one of our international evaluation teams. Death Valley famously holds the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth, which is 134 degrees. This record was set on July 10, 1913. However, that measurement is very much in question; an extensive analysis of that record conducted in 2016 by Christopher Burt, an expert on extreme weather data, concluded it was essentially not possible from a meteorological perspective. Analysis shreds claim that Death Valley recorded Earths highest temperature in 1913 Some climatologists consider 129-degree readings recorded in Death Valley on June 30, 2013 , and in Kuwait and Pakistan in 2016 and 2017, respectively, as the highest ever reliably measured on the planet. If only those readings are considered, then Sundays 130-degree temperature would unseat them as the highest measured. Recent scorching temperatures in Kuwait and Pakistan confirmed as third and fourth hottest on Earth As it stands, if Sundays 130-degree reading is confirmed, it would be the worlds highest temperature officially recorded since 1931, and the third-highest since 1873. The only two higher measurements include the disputed 1913 Death Valley reading and a 131-degree reading from Kebili, Tunisia, set July 7, 1931, which is considered to be Africas hottest temperature. But the Tunisia mark also has serious credibility issues, according to Burt. Death Valley is the lowest, driest and hottest location in the United States. Furnace Creek, where its temperature is measured, sits at 190 feet below sea level in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California. It is notorious for its blistering heat. In July 2018, its average temperature of 108.1 degrees represented the hottest month ever measured on the planet. During that month, it hit at least 120 degrees on 21 days. From 2018: Death Valley posts hottest month ever recorded on Earth, for the second July in a row Typically, such blazing heat records happen in July the Northern Hemispheres hottest month which makes Sundays 130-degree reading stand out. The scorching temperature occurred amid a suffocating heat wave that has gripped the Western United States since late last week, and is forecast to continue into the coming week. On Friday, Oakland, Calif., hit 100 for the first time on record in August , while Phoenix tied its highest temperature for the month: 117 degrees. Then on Saturday, Needles, in Californias southeastern desert, soared to 123 degrees, its highest August temperature on record. Sacramento rocketed to 112 degrees Sunday , topping its previous August record of 110. ICYMI...yesterday was another one for the daily record books! In fact, Kingman, AZ tied their all-time high for August while Needles, CA broke theirs! The Excessive Heat Warning continues! Find the latest updates and info at https://t.co/H4ycRSpCVQ ! #cawx #nvwx #azwx pic.twitter.com/PgPN9UkrqD The heat has intensified a rash of fires that have erupted in recent days. A blaze in northeastern California, between Redding and Reno, Nev., spawned a swarm of fire tornadoes prompting what is believed to be the first-ever issued fire tornado warning by the National Weather Service. A freak fire tornado warning was issued in California Saturday amid swarm of spinning blazes Scientists have found the intensity, duration and frequency of heat waves worldwide are increasing due to human-caused climate change. A 2019 study found the planet has entered a new climate regime with extraordinary heat waves that global warming is worsening. Climate studies have also concluded climate change is having a serious effect on wildfire activity in the West and Southwest. The Fourth National Climate Assessment , published by the Trump administration in 2018, warned that climate change had already increased the size of areas burned by wildfires by drying out forests and boosting the availability of wildfire fuel. The report estimated the area burned by wildfires in the past decade was twice what it otherwise would have been without climate change, painting a grim picture of the regions future. Andrew Freedman contributed to this report. Read more Record Arctic blazes may herald new fire regime decades sooner than anticipated Hottest Arctic temperature record probably set with 100-degree reading in Siberia Humidity and heat extremes are on the verge of exceeding limits of human survivability, study finds Cedar Rapids and nearby Iowa communities, still in shambles days after destructive derecho, plead for help