California, 54.4 degrees in Death Valley. It could be the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth
Environment — di Martina Girola
The Californian Death Valley, in the United States, may have reached a peak of 54.4 degrees on Sunday 16 August.
California, 54.4 degrees in Death Valley. It could be the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth
The Californian Death Valley, in the United States, may have reached a peak of 54.4 degrees on Sunday 16 August.
It happened on Sunday 16 August at Furnace Creek, in Death Valley, the so-called Californian Valley of Death California located in the western part of the United States. The thermometer recorded a temperature of 54.4 degrees Celsius, the highest since 2013, when 54 degrees were recorded.
The World Meteorological Organization (Wmo) is carrying out the necessary checks.
A temperature of 54.4 degrees has never been recorded
An exceptional heatwave is sweeping the western coast of the USA these days, and there are fears that temperatures could rise even further.
In California, the extreme heat has even triggered "firenado" events — literally fire tornadoes generated by swirling hot air colliding with fires burning on the ground.
A #firenado was spotted in Northern California near the Nevada border, where a large wildfire, winds and extreme temperatures combined to create the dangerous twister: bit.ly/320k0Zt
This extraordinary meteorological situation has already caused damage to infrastructure, with blackouts, melting road surfaces and malfunctions at energy facilities, as well as to people, who have been advised to take care.