The heat records are being shattered. The American West Coast is currently plagued by temperatures of up to 47 degrees. The coming days will get even warmer.
Ukiah, north of San Francisco, recorded 117 Fahrenheit on Saturday – 47 degrees Celsius – which is a record for the date and on par with the highest temperature ever measured in the city.
Along the American West Coast, in the states of California and Nevada, several cities have seen temperatures of around 42-43 degrees in recent days. In Las Vegas, residents have had 46 degrees.
The US National Weather Institute has issued red heat warnings for the approximately 130 million people in the affected area.
"A dangerous and historic heat wave has just started in the area, with temperatures expected to culminate during the time frame Sunday-Wednesday", the institute announced in an updated forecast.
In Death Valley National Park, notorious for high temperatures, 130 Fahrenheit is expected by Wednesday – 54.4 degrees.
The highest temperature officially recorded on Earth was 56.67 degrees in July 1913 in Death Valley in eastern California. However, some experts question the measurement and believe that the real record was set in July 2021 with 54.4 degrees.