'Record Broken Again'... This Place Recorded an Average Temperature of 42.5°C in July

The average temperature in Death Valley, California, one of the hottest places on Earth, was recorded at 42.5 degrees Celsius last month. It was recorded as the hottest month in Earth's history.

On the 1st (local time), the American daily newspaper The Washington Post (WP) reported this, citing meteorologist Brian Brettschneider. The average temperature in Death Valley in July was 42.5 degrees Celsius (108.5 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest monthly average temperature ever recorded among thousands of weather observation stations worldwide. The previous record was 42.3 degrees Celsius, also recorded in Death Valley in July 2018.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

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The daily high temperatures in Death Valley in July ranged from 43.9 to 53.9 degrees Celsius, and the daily high temperature exceeded 51.7 degrees Celsius for nine consecutive days from July 4 to 12. This extreme heat continued into the night, with only two nights dropping below 32.2 degrees Celsius, and three nights exceeding 37.8 degrees Celsius.

There were also casualties due to the heatwave. The U.S. National Park Service reported that on the 6th of last month, a motorcyclist passing through Death Valley died of heatstroke. On the 18th of the same month, a woman was rescued after suffering from heat-related illness in the area, and on the 20th, a man in his 40s from Belgium was rescued after suffering burns on both feet while walking barefoot on sand dunes.

Park rangers were unable to communicate effectively with the man due to language barriers and could not determine the exact cause of the burns, but it was believed that he lost his slippers while walking on the sand. At that time, the air temperature was 123 degrees Fahrenheit (50.6 degrees Celsius), and the ground surface was reported to be much hotter. The man, who was airlifted to a hospital, was diagnosed with third-degree burns, the most severe grade of burns that can damage the subcutaneous fat layer, muscles, or even bones.

Death Valley [Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency]

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Death Valley, located in the Mojave Desert of California, recorded 56.7 degrees Celsius (134 degrees Fahrenheit) over 100 years ago in 1913, earning a place in the Guinness World Records as the highest temperature on Earth. The average temperature in Death Valley in July is around 47.2 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit), but last July, an unofficial temperature reached as high as 56 degrees Celsius. Despite this, tourists from around the world who treat the heatwave experience as a challenge or adventure flock to Death Valley every year. A park official warned, "Some people deliberately come when there are predictions that Death Valley's heat might break records. They seem unaware of the effects of extreme heat on the human body, but this should be taken seriously."

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