Death Valley records highest temperature in US in 107 years

Death Valley’s Furnace Creek recorded its highest temperature in 107 years on Sunday, potentially breaking the nation’s record for the highest temperature the Southern California desert region previously set in 1913. 

The temperature in Death Valley reached 130 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service Prediction Center. 

If the temperature is valid, Sunday’s temperature would be the first time Death Valley has reached that temperature since 1913, according to the National Weather Service.

Per the climate data in xmACIS2, this is the first time since 1913 that Death Valley has reached 130F. In July 2013, it last reached 129F. If valid, it would be the hottest August temperature at the site by 3F. @NWSVegas pic.twitter.com/gZNBW4NXI4

— NWS WPC (@NWSWPC) August 16, 2020

The last time it came close was in July 2013, when the temperature reached 129 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service. 

The record set in 1913 is the highest recorded temperature in the world, according to the World Meteorological Organization. 

A world high record of 134 degrees Fahrenheit was observed in Death Valley in 1913, but experts contend the temperature reading was likely an observer error, CBS News reported. If so, the 129 degrees recorded in Death Valley in 2013 would be the highest on record. 

The temperature in Death Valley on Sunday is part of a heatwave hitting the West Coast of the U.S, which is expected to get worse through Tuesday, according to CBS News.