Hottest Place on Earth Could Be Getting Hotter

Death Valley on Friday saw some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded on Earth, and this may not be the end of it. Dubbed the hottest place on the planet for its official record temp of 134 degrees Fahrenheit, set in 1913, the spot in eastern California had only seen thermometers hit 130 four times before the heat wave currently sizzling across the West Coast. Friday's scorcher marks the fifth, and officials worry the trend could continue into Sunday and Monday, per CNN. The intense heat is around 13 degrees above normal for Death Valley this time of year.

Meanwhile, 130 could actually be a record in itself. As Gizmodo points out, the 1913 record isn't recognized by everyone. Some believe measurements taken back then to be inaccurate and that 130 is the hottest ever recorded, which means Friday would have tied the record last set in August of 2020. Either way, the West's heat wave has a body count that continues to tic up along with the relentless temperatures currently baking some 30 million people. (More heat wave stories.)