Tourists Flock To California's Death Valley As Temperature Touches Over 53 Degrees Celsius

Tourists have been flocking to Death Valley National Park, in eastern California to experience some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded. On Sunday, several people flocked to a part of the National Park known as Furnace Creek and were seen taking selfies and pictures with the digital thermometer, Fortune reported.

Temperatures in Furnace Creek in Death Valley reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service. Along with the thermometer, there were also signs warning people not to walk in the area after 10:00 a.m, but tourists remain undeterred to experience the heat.

Today tourists are flocking to Death Valley to experience possible world record heat of 131° Fahrenheit. pic.twitter.com/L5hrrW0dnR

— Las Vegas Issues (@VegasIssues) July 16, 2023

Notably, Death Valley runs along Central California's border with Nevada and has long been known for its record-breaking heat. Furnace Creek previously recorded the hottest-ever temperature on Earth at 134 degrees in July 1913, USA Today reported.

Visitors to the park said that they were able to feel the heat in their bones and the hot air drying out their eyes. 

Like the dinosaurs throwing a welcome party for the meteorite. Tourists apparently ‘flocking' to Death Valley to celebrate world record temperatures. pic.twitter.com/GQubuTk2aB

— James Withers (@JamesRWithers) July 17, 2023

''We thought this would be a great opportunity to witness history, and when history is within driving distance you don't pass on it,'' a visitor said while standing in the heat at Death Valley's Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

More than 100 million people were under heat alerts in the US on Monday as forecasters warned that the severe heatwave will continue throughout the Southwest. Residents were advised to turn on air conditioning, hydrate and not leave children or pets locked in cars. 

The National Weather Service warned that temperatures will reach dangerous levels and are potentially deadly for anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.

“This is just the beginning. This is what the climate system can do at just 1.2C warming. Current policies globally have us hitting 2.7C warming by 2100. That's truly terrifying,” Prof Simon Lewis, Chair of Global Change Science, University College London, said in an email to The Independent.