Death Valley National Park, the hottest place on the planet, experienced its warmest month ever on record in July, reaching a sweltering 42.5°C (108.5°F) average 24-hour temperature. This beats the previous record of 42.3°C (108.1°F), set in 2018, the National Park Service (NPS) announced last week.
The record-breaking month also saw an average high temperature of 49.9°C (121.9°F), nine days of temperatures at 51.7°C (125°F) or greater, and only seven days that didn’t reach at least 48.8°C (120°F). The highest temperature was on July 7, when the weather station at Furnace Creek recorded 54°C (129.2°F).
Meanwhile, the average low temperature of the month was 35.1°C (95.2°F), meaning there was little relief from the heat, even overnight.
“We just experienced the hottest month in history in the hottest place on Earth! Six of the 10 hottest summers have come in the past 10 years, which should serve as a wake up call,” park superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement.
“Record-breaking months like this one could become the norm as we continue to see global temperatures rise. Visitors to the park should plan ahead and come prepared to face extreme temperatures during the summer months.”
Death Valley is no stranger to scorching temperatures. The aptly named Furnace Creek holds the official title for the world’s highest recorded temperature of 56.7°C (134°F), which it reached in 1913.
The latest announcement comes a little over a week after it was revealed that July 22 was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth, with the global surface air temperature reaching 17.15°C (62.87°F).
With extreme temperatures becoming more common, the NPS is warning travelers to Death Valley to take precautions. Rangers responded to multiple life-threatening heat-related incidents in July, and so are urging visitors to stay within a 10-minute walk of an air-conditioned vehicle, drink plenty of water, eat salty snacks, and wear a hat and sunscreen.
“High heat like this can pose real threats to your health,” Reynolds said in a previous statement. “While this is a very exciting time to experience potential world record setting temperatures in Death Valley, we encourage visitors to choose their activities carefully, avoiding prolonged periods of time outside of an air-conditioned vehicle or building when temperatures are this high.”
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