The temperature in Death Valley could rise above 130 degrees Fahrenheit this weekend. If it does, it would set a record for the hottest temperature ever reliably measured on Earth
Amid a punishing heat wave gripping the U.S. Southwest, Death Valley, Calif., could tie or set the record for the hottest temperature ever reliably measured on Earth.
That record currently stands at a temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit set there in August 2020 and again in July 2021. Such heat records are becoming more likely—and record cold temperatures less likely—as the Earth heats up from the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by humans burning fossil fuels.
Death Valley, as its name suggests, is sweltering—it’s known as the hottest place on Earth thanks to its desert climate and the local topography. Summer temperatures there often soar past 120 degrees F even in the shade, according to the National Park Service. Because the area’s dry climate is coupled with typically clear skies, the sun constantly heats up the ground, and that heat radiates back into the air. When the air rises, it gets trapped by the steep walls of the valley, which sits 282 feet below sea level. It cools very slightly and starts to descend. As it does so, it compresses and heats up again, making the valley a virtual blowtorch of hot air.
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Temperatures in Death Valley could rocket past their usual, already-mind-boggling typical values because of a heat dome that has trapped sizzling hot air over the southern tier of the U.S. Records could also be set in Las Vegas, Nev., Phoenix, Ariz. and parts of Southern California. Phoenix has already seen 14 days in a row with high temperatures at or above 110 degrees F, which is the third-longest such stretch on record. Texas has had weeks of hot, humid weather that has sent the heat index—a basic measure of how hot the temperature feels on your body—spiking into dangerous territory, particularly for young children, the elderly, those who work outdoors and those with existing health issues such as asthma or heart disease. Heat is the number one weather killer in the U.S., causing more deaths than hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding combined.
The WMO, which keeps official global weather records, places the hottest temperature ever measured on Earth at 134 degrees F; this reading was taken in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. This measurement was declared a record in 2012 after a WMO review threw out the previous record of 136 degrees F in Al ʻAzīzīyah, Libya, from 1922 because of issues with the instrument and its placement. Several experts also doubt the legitimacy of the 134-degree measurement because it has similar issues as the Libya temperature reading, however.
The WMO will need to verify any record-high reading from Death Valley, but if it is verified, it would be one of the hottest temperatures ever measured on Earth and the hottest ever reliably measured—though there are decent odds that another heat wave in the not-too-distant future will best it.
The WMO, which keeps official global weather records, places the hottest temperature ever measured on Earth at 134 degrees F; this reading was taken in Death Valley on July 10, 1913.
On July 10, 1913, Oscar Denton, a U.S. Weather Bureau observer stationed at Greenland Ranch, in Death Valley, California, claimed the mercury hit an astonishing 134 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States.
Tourists have 'giddily' flocked to Death Valley to try see a heat record broken. Temperatures reached a shocking 55C. People posed and smiled next to a digital temperature board as they celebrated the 'exciting' day out. The highest temperature at Death Valley currently stands at 56.6C, which was recorded in 1913.
“It's very hot. I mean, especially when there's a breeze, you would think that maybe that would give you some slight relief from the heat, but it just really does feel like an air blow dryer just going back in your face,” she said.
The hottest place on Earth is Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California (USA), where a temperature of 56.7°C (134°F) was recorded on 10 July 1913. In summer months, Death Valley has an average daily high of 45°C (113°F). This is only the air temperature, with surface heat much higher.
Externally, the upper limit of the human body's thermoneutral zone—the ambient temperature range in which the body can maintain effectively maintain its temperature and equilibrium—likely falls somewhere between 104 and 122 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a 2021 study published in Physiology Report.
The current official highest registered air temperature on Earth is 56.7 °C (134.1 °F), recorded on 10 July 1913 at Furnace Creek Ranch, in Death Valley in the United States.
This locality in northern Ethiopia is a hydrothermal zone consisting of salt formations, gas geysers and acidic springs. Dallol holds the official record for highest average temperature for an inhabited place on Earth.
The valley again recorded that temperature on July 9, 2021. However, that temperature has not yet been officially verified either. The valley's lowest temperature, recorded at Greenland Ranch (now Furnace Creek) on January 2, 1913, was 15 °F (−9 °C).
Drink plenty of water: Drink at least one gallon (4 liters) of water per day to replace loss from sweat, more if you are active. Be aware of balancing fluid and electrolyte levels. Avoid hiking in the heat: Do not hike in the low elevations when temperatures are hot.
You might be wondering about how much external heat a person can tolerate. Live Science writes that most humans can endure about 10 minutes in 140–degree heat before suffering from hyperthermia, a lethal form of which is the aforementioned heat stroke.
Given enough water and access to shade to avoid sunstroke, humans can survive for several hours in dry heat, up to temperatures in the 120s. (This is not doctor-recommended.)
They also have colder winters. The Sahara Desert falls within this region, yet Death Valley, California still records higher temperatures. The explanation is simple.
The 102.7-degree July average in Phoenix surpassed readings ever observed at any weather stations nationwide, except for the inhospitable Death Valley, Calif., which is considered the hottest location in the world.
Yesterday, Phoenix and Las Vegas were pushing into the triple digits and nighttime temperatures this week haven't offered much relief. These conditions are extreme, but nowhere are they more extreme than Death Valley. Nine out of 10 of Death Valley's hottest summers have been in the past ten years.
The valley again recorded that temperature on July 9, 2021. However, that temperature has not yet been officially verified either. The valley's lowest temperature, recorded at Greenland Ranch (now Furnace Creek) on January 2, 1913, was 15 °F (−9 °C).
Physicists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN have smashed lead ions together to achieve the hottest man-made temperatures ever recorded – around 5.5 trillion Kelvin.
The highest reported core body temperature in a patient who survived without permanent residual deficits was 46.5°C (115.7°F). This 52-year-old patient suffered from environmental heatstroke, possibly exacerbated by ethanol consumption.
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