As an intense and record-breaking heat wave continues to roast the American West, the highest temperature occurred on Wednesday at the lowest point in North America: Death Valley.
By Wednesday evening, high temperatures in Death Valley, California, pushed to 125 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, with an AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature of 130.
Death Valley is the record-holder for the highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth, a sizzling 134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913. The high temperature of 125 degrees came just within 9 degrees of that world record.
Death Valley is certainly living up to its name as AccuWeather forecasters are cautioning that “most outdoor activity is potentially life-threatening” in such extreme heat, which will continue through the week. AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell is in Death Valley and reporting from there on the network. By 9 a.m. on Wednesday the temperature had hit 106 there and kept going. After 1 p.m., the mercury had risen to 121.
By 5 p.m., local time, the NWS marked Death Valley and Stovepipe Wells, California, as the hottest locations in the Lower 48 on Wednesday, both at 125 degrees F. On the other end of the state, in northern California, one of the coldest temperatures of the day in the Lower 48 was recorded near Old Station. Both that location and a station near Sand Creek Station and Foster Flat in Oregon recorded low temperatures 25 degrees F — a 100 degree difference.
But Death Valley is hardly the only location experiencing searing heat, and many others have stamped new marks in the weather history books, and some more records could still fall, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.”
“Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. “ Source Weather.com
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