You wouldn’t expect a place named Death Valley to be particularly pleasant, but it reached new levels this weekend. On Sept. 2, the desert valley in Eastern California reached temperatures of 127 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Park Service. That is believed to be the hottest temperature that has ever been recorded in September anywhere on Earth.
If you think 127 degrees is hot, well, you’re right. But that was just the temperature in the air. According to the National Park Service, ground temperatures broke the 200-degree mark, reaching as high as 201 degrees Fahrenheit. That heat radiates back into the air, creating a bit of a feedback loop that makes the air even hotter. That’s more than hot enough to cook an egg on the ground if you wanted to, and nearly hot enough to melt your sneakers.
