Death Valley has come within four degrees of the highest outdoor temperature ever recorded on Earth, as the West Coast braces for yet another record-setting heatwave.
The official temperature in the California national park hit 130 degrees on Friday, breaking the daily record for June 9 and coming close to the all-time worldwide record of 134, which was set there in 1913.
Temperatures on the West Coast are set to hit up to 117 degrees over the weekend, just two weeks after the deadly 'heat dome' capped North America's hottest month of June on record, as wildfires continue to burn across the state.
The 'heat dome lasted from June 26 to July 1, killing 116 people in Oregon and another 78 in Washington State as temperatures soared up to more than 95 degrees. It also caused some areas in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia to hit as high as 115 degrees.
Now National Weather Service forecaster Sarah Rogowski has warned that this weekend's heatwave will likely be even hotter, especially in the central part of the California from Friday and into Monday, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees higher than average in some parts of the state.
Lows in some regions will be in the high 80s, which is normally the usual high temperature mark for the state in the late summer months.
Signage warns of extreme heat danger inside Death Valley National Park in a file photo. The official temperature in the California national park hit 130 degrees on Friday, four degrees from the all-time record
Temperature forecasts are seen for Death Valley, which is flirting with the all-time record for surface temperature
The West Coast is bracing for yet another record-setting heatwave, with temperatures set to hit up to 117°F just two weeks after deadly 'heat dome'
The heat dome, which capped North America's hottest month of June on record, killed 116 people in Oregon and another 78 in Washington State
In preparation for this weekend's record-setting temperatures, the Office of Emergency Services are offering cooling centers throughout the state, especially for those without air conditioning
Even nighttime temperatures are expected to soar, with authorities expressing concern over potential increases in heat-related illnesses.
'People don’t have that recovery time,' Rogowski said of the constant heat. 'You don’t have time to cool off your home and to really just recover from the heat.'
'This is on top of the heat wave we saw earlier in the summer,' she added. 'It’s been a pretty hot period with not much relief across the state.'
Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters aided by aircraft were fighting the Beckwourth Complex on Friday, two blazes sparked by lightning that were carving their way through the eastern edge of the million-acre Plumas National Forest in the northern Sierra Nevada near the Nevada state line.
Campgrounds and homes around California's Frenchman Lake were under evacuation orders and a nearly 200-square-mile area was closed due to wildfires.
Sarah Rogowski, a National Weather Service forecaster, warns that this weekend's heatwave will likely be even hotter than the 'heat dome' from Friday and into Monday, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees higher than average in some parts of the state
Meanwhile, campgrounds and homes around Frenchman Lake were evacuated Friday and a nearly 200-square-mile area was closed due to wildfires
After a day and night of explosive growth, the wildfire covered more than 38 square miles as of midmorning Friday, causing containment to drop to 11 percent
After a day and night of explosive growth, the fire covered more than 38 square miles as of midmorning Friday, causing containment to drop to 11 percent.
Officials with the California Office of Emergency Services believe the Golden State is undergoing serious climate changes amidst the recent influx in temperatures, droughts and wildfires.
'We believe that California is very clearly experiencing the impacts of a changing environment,' said deputy director of crisis communications for the California Office of Emergency Services Brian Ferguson.
'We’re seeing drought conditions we haven’t seen before, and there is a cascading impact, but it really all comes back to climate.'
In preparation for this weekend's record-setting temperatures, the Office of Emergency Services are offering cooling centers throughout the state, especially for those without air conditioning.
'We’re competing with Mother Nature,' Ferguson said. 'We’re throwing everything we have at this challenge to help keep those who are vulnerable safe.'
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