Officials: Death Valley establishes high temperature record in July

Death Valley National Park in July experienced the hottest month on record with an average 24-hour temperature of 108.5 degrees, officials with the National Park Service said this morning. The previous high was 108.1 degrees in 2018, although a news release didn’t indicate which month.

The heat was the cause for at least one fatality in July, officials said. Rangers additionally responded to multiple heat-related calls, including having to rescue a man who lost his sandals in the sand dunes and experienced second-degree burns, they said.

Death Valley is in the Mojave Desert on the Nevada-California border. It's 150 miles from Las Vegas.

“We just experienced the hottest month in history in the hottest place on Earth. Six of the 10 hottest summers have come in the past 10 years, which should serve as a wake up call,” said Mike Reynolds, the Death Valley park superintendent. “Record-breaking months like this one could become the norm as we continue to see global temperatures rise. Visitors to the park should plan ahead and come prepared to face extreme temperatures during the summer months.”

The average high temperature in July was 121.9 degrees, officials said. Nine times in July, the park’s temperature was 125 degrees or higher, including at the weather stations at Furnace Creek, which recorded the highest-ever temperature at 129 degrees on July 7.

There was little break from the heat overnight, with the average low temperature in July at 95.2 degrees after the sun went down.

Officials urge visitors to Death Valley to drink plenty of water, wear a hat and sunscreen, and not venture too far from a vehicle with air conditioning. The recommended distance is a 10-minute walk.

Temperatures in greater Las Vegas reached at least 105 degrees every day in July. In the weeklong stretch from July 6 to 12, the daily high reached at least 115 degrees, and on July 7, the temperature hit 120 degrees to mark the hottest day on record here.