Heat seekers flock to Death Valley to enjoy the record high temperatures

The ongoing heat wave has not stopped tourists specifically adrenaline junkies from seeking out the hottest places on earth.

Death Valley in California recorded crazy high temperatures peaking at 53 degrees celsius in the last couple of days. Meteorologists reported these temperatures at Furnace Creek. (no surprises with the name of the place). Death Valley cuts across central California’s border with Nevada.

Soaring temperatures in Death Valley

The World Meteorological Organisation’s records coordinator Ceverny said with global warming, such temperatures are becoming more likely to occur.

“Long term global warming is causing higher and more frequent temperature extremes. Short-term this particular weekend is being driven by a very, very strong upper-level ride of ridge of high pressure over the western US.”

Furnace Creek is part of Death Valley’s national park and on July 16, masses of people gathered at its famous digital thermometer to take a photo with the record temperature. Some of them even donned fur coats for photos as part of a joke to contrast with the heat.

Death Valley isn’t the only place with crazy high temperatures as parts of the United States continues to be hit by extreme hot weather. The brutal temperatures comes amid a stretch of hot weather that has put one third of Americans on the lookout. Temperatures in Phoenix hit 45.6c on July 16.

Record high heat

Ironically while record high heat affects US and Europe, floods continue to rage in the north-east of the United States, Japan, India and China.

Where the heatwave is concerned, the two hottest temperatures ever recorded was in 1913 in Death Valley at 56.67 degrees celcious 55 degrees celcious in Tunisia in July 1931.

According to a PBS report, scientists say that it is very likely that 2023 will go down as the hottest year on record with temperatures that were last seen in the 19^th century. Studies also show that these extreme weather conditions are man-made with the burning of coal, oil and natural gas coupled with the El Niño and La Niña cycles. An El Niño cycle which warms part of the Pacific can change the entire world’s weather, adding even more heat to already high temperatures.

The photo above is from