Why Death Valley’s 130 F heat record matters

Like nearly the entire planet, the hottest place on Earth is growing hotter.  On Sunday, the National Weather Service reported a 130 degree Fahrenheit temperature in Death Valley, Calif., which is likely the highest temperature ever accurately recorded on Earth. (Many meteorologists agree that earlier records, including a wild 134 F reading in Death Valley in 1913, weren't reliable or even possible.) This new heat record, which the World Meteorological Organization will verify over the coming weeks, occurred during a widespread California heat wave. Like all intense heat waves today, Death Valley's record heat was an extreme weather event amplified by climate change. Read more...More about California, Extreme Weather, Climate Change, Science, and Climate Environment