Death Valley’s Summer 2020 Temperature Hits 130, The Hottest In Over 100 Years

Death Valley, California, may have broken a new record over the weekend during the West Coast heatwave. The temperature hit its highest number since 1913.

On Sunday at 3:41 p.m. PDT, the temperature in Death Valley was recorded as 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The number must still be verified, but provided the preliminary reading is correct, it breaks a number of records, according to the National Weather Service.

The temperature is the highest recorded in the U.S. in over 100 years, and it’s the first time temps reached 130 since 1913. It was 134 degrees in July 1913 in Death Valley. If verified, it will also be the highest recorded August temperature.

This could be considered the highest temperature “reliably” recorded on Earth, CBS reports. Apparently, there are concerns about the legitimacy of the 1913 record and some 1930s temperatures in Africa that placed Tunisia’s temperature at 131 degrees.

The National Weather Service Prediction Center noted that while Death Valley certainly had the highest temperature, plenty of other cities broke their daily records, including Phoenix at 115 degrees and Las Vegas at 113 degrees.

The soaring temperatures have roughly 56 million people in the western U.S. under a heat advisory. The sweltering summer weather has resulted in many power outages in California.