Death Valley in California, USA is one of the hottest regions on earth. Last weekend, the local temperature soared to 53.3 degrees Celsius, causing one motorcyclist to die from heatstroke, while another companion suffered severe heat exhaustion.
According to reports by the Associated Press, Death Valley National Park recorded a high temperature of 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.3 degrees Celsius) last weekend. In such scorching weather, a group of six people rode motorcycles through Badwater Basin to the park.
The park stated that one person in the group died from excessive exposure to the sun, while another was hospitalized in Las Vegas for severe heatstroke. The other four members received on-site treatment.
Due to the extreme heat, emergency rescue helicopters were unable to respond as aircraft are generally not able to safely fly in temperatures exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius).
Mike Reynolds, the superintendent of Death Valley National Park, emphasized the need for caution in outdoor activities amidst such high temperatures. Although Death Valley may potentially break the world’s highest temperature record at this time, he urged visitors to avoid prolonged exposure outside air-conditioned vehicles or buildings.
The park mentioned in its statement that apart from the challenge of staying cool during the motorcycle ride, riders face additional obstacles in Death Valley’s extreme heat, including the necessity of wearing heavy safety gear to reduce injuries (which can lead to elevated body temperatures).
The prolonged heatwave across the United States has already set numerous record high temperatures in many areas, with dozens of locations in the western and northwestern Pacific regions expected to tie or break historical temperature records.
In Las Vegas, the temperature soared to 48.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday, July 7, setting a new record high. Death Valley may reach a high temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius) in the coming days.
The official record for the highest surface temperature is 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.67 degrees Celsius), recorded in Death Valley in July 1913.