Death Valley in California is among the hottest places on Earth. In the midst of a heatwave baking large parts of the US South and Southwest it may have just set a new record for the hottest midnight ever.
Between 12am and 1am on 17 July, the maintained in Death Valley by the US National Weather Service recorded temperatures of 48.9掳C (120掳F).
, a meteorologist at Yale Climate Connections, says he doesn鈥檛 doubt that this was the hottest midnight on record, though adds that it would take some time to do a definitive study of potential other cases. He says there are not official statistics for maximum nighttime temperatures based on local time.
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The temperature readings are provisional as well. But if confirmed, the record would add to Death Valley鈥檚 list of records, including what the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) considers the on the planet.
The sweltering night in Death Valley does not appear to have broken the record for the hottest overall nighttime temperatures. That remains with which didn鈥檛 fall below 44.2掳C (111.6掳F) overnight between 16 and 17 June 2017. By 5 am on 17 July, the Badwater station registered 41.6掳C (107掳F).
However, average nighttime temperatures as well as extremes are than average daytime temperatures due to climate change, says at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research in Norway. This difference is largely due to there being less mixing in the atmosphere during the night, he says.
While temperatures at night don鈥檛 reach as high as during the day, increases in nighttime temperatures can be more dangerous, he says. 鈥淧eople just don鈥檛 get the chance to cool off.鈥�
Although not yet record-setting, other parts of Death Valley were extremely hot over the past several days, with the famous visitor鈥檚 centre at Furnace Creek reaching at least 53.3掳C (128掳F). The WMO is also currently working to verify temperatures above 54.4掳C (130掳F) recorded in Death Valley in 2020 and 2021, which would be the highest temperatures recorded anywhere since 1931.
at the National Weather Service says the extreme heat is due to a high-pressure system over the region that has maximised exposure to sun and delayed the monsoon rains. He says Badwater basin can see particularly high temperatures as it is the , located 86 metres below sea level.
Regarding the record high, however, Berc points out hourly temperature data in Death Valley and elsewhere has only been kept for the last decade or so, so records that aren鈥檛 daily maximum or minimums should be taken with a grain of salt.
at Arizona State University says the WMO has been paying close attention to any new records reported during the numerous heatwaves currently underway in North America, North Africa, Europe and East Asia in what is shaping up to be the hottest year on record.
鈥淐limate change and temperature increase has spurred a surge in reports of record weather and climate extremes, especially for heat,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淲e have to make sure that these records are verified for the sake of scientific understanding and accuracy.鈥�
