The West of the US falls under a heat wave, Death Valley reaches 130 degrees according to Reuters

By Bridget Bennett

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (Reuters) – A severe heat wave that has plagued the U.S. West pushed all temperature records to a record high on Sunday (California, Death Valley, 54 Celsius). one of the hottest places on the planet.

The thermometers outside the Furnace Creek Visitor Center in the heart of the Death Valley River showed 134 degrees Fahrenheit before 4pm on Sunday (2000 GMT), although a National Park Service guard was usually above official reading.

The National Weather Service recorded a temperature of 130 degrees on Saturday, if it is verified that it would be one of the highest ever recorded on Earth. A stranger measured the sidewalk temperature at 178 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday evening.

“I just came here to see how hot it is,” said Richard Rader of Scottsdale, Arizona, who said he rode a 10-mile bike ride in Death Valley on Sunday.

Other tourists took enough time out of the air-conditioned cars to take pictures with the thermometer.

The stifling heat, which spread over much of the Pacific Northwest, put pressure on power lines and sparked major fires, including a fire that broke out in southern Oregon that threatened homes and wiped out electricity.

The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings throughout the region and warned residents that high temperatures could be dangerous to their health and loved ones, especially young children and the elderly.