DEATH VALLEY, California — After many deaths and record breaking events in the West this past weekend, another prolonged heat wave is set to hit the US on Monday, with temperatures of over 10 degrees expected across much of the East Coast.
The dangerous temperatures caused the death of a motorcyclist in Death Valley.
The heat wave in the US came as global temperatures hit record highs in June for the 13th month in a row and it was the 12th consecutive month that the Earth was 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than in pre-industrial times, the European climate service Copernicus reported Monday morning.
An extreme heat warning, the highest alert issued by the National Weather Service, was in effect for about 36 million people, or about 10% of the population, said weather service meteorologist Bryan Jackson. Dozens of locations in the West and Pacific Northwest tied or broke previous heat records.
A high temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded Saturday and Sunday at Death Valley National Park in Eastern California. One visitor died Saturday from the heat and another person was hospitalized, officials said.
The two visitors were part of a group of six motorcyclists riding through the Badwater Basin area during the scorching weather, the park said in a statement.
The person who died has not been identified. The other motorcyclist was taken to a Las Vegas hospital for “severe heat illness,” the statement said. Due to the high temperatures, emergency medical helicopters were unable to respond, as aircraft generally cannot safely fly above 120 F (48.8 C), officials said.
The other four members of the party were treated at the scene.
“While this is a very exciting time to experience potential record temperatures in Death Valley, we encourage visitors to choose their activities carefully and avoid extended periods outside of an air-conditioned vehicle or building when temperatures are this high,” said Park Manager Mike Reynolds.
Officials warn that heat, illness and injuries are cumulative and can build up over a day or days.
“In addition to the inability to cool down while riding due to the high ambient temperatures, experiencing Death Valley on a motorcycle in such hot conditions is made even more difficult by the necessary heavy safety equipment that must be worn to minimize injury in the event of an accident,” the park’s statement said.
Across the desert in Nevada, Las Vegas reached a record high of 120 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday.
Temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) were common in Oregon, where several records were broken, including in Salem, where it reached 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, surpassing the 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37.2 degrees Celsius) reached in 1960. Temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) occurred on the more humid East Coast, although no extreme heat warnings were in effect for Sunday.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and stay in touch with family members and neighbors,” a weather advisory for the Baltimore area reads. “Young children and pets should not be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.”
Warnings for rare heat were even extended to higher elevations, including around Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border. The weather service in Reno, Nevada, warned of “high heat risks, even in the mountains.”
“How hot is it? Well, high temperatures in (western Nevada and northeastern California) won’t be below 100 degrees (37.8 C) until next weekend,” the service reported online. “And unfortunately, there won’t be much relief tonight either.”
More extreme temperatures are forecast for the near future, including a possible 130°F (54.4°C) by midweek in Furnace Creek, California, in Death Valley. The highest temperature ever officially recorded on Earth was 134°F (56.67°C) in July 1913 in Death Valley, though some experts dispute that measurement and say the real record was 130°F (54.4°C), recorded there in July 2021.
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Weber reported from Los Angeles. AP reporters Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, and Walter Berry in Phoenix contributed to this report.