July 19th 2023.
Tourists have flocked to Death Valley in excitement to witness a potential heat record broken. Temperatures were recorded at a scorching 55C, prompting visitors to take pictures with a digital temperature board and celebrate the 'exciting' day out.
One woman described the heat as being 'like being in an oven', while another had to cut their visit short after only ten minutes. Yet one protestor made the trip to bring attention to the 'giddy' reaction to the heat record. He told Reuters: 'The fact that people are coming out here to celebrate this, that the park service are giddy - it's not a milestone. I'm calling it 'Happy Death Day'. He asked wearily, 'What are we celebrating?'
On social media, users branded the picture frenzy as 'crazy'. Photos of people smiling in front of the heat advisory sign, a father and son from Atlanta posing for a picture, the National Park Service Rangers joining in the fun, and people stripping off to get the best of their photo opportunity, had many people in shock.
The extreme heat has not only caused chaos in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, but across the world, leading to the UN issuing a warning. The Phoenix region stands apart among major metropolitan areas in the US, with no other large city having a streak of 43C days or 32C nights longer than Phoenix.
Death Valley has had an 84-day streak of 43C temperatures and a 47-day streak of night-time temperatures that have not fallen below 32C, according to weather historian Christopher Burt and climate data scientists Russ Vose and Ken Kunkel. People have been urged to take precautions, as the lack of a night-time cooldown can rob people without access to air conditioning of the break from the heat their bodies need to continue to function properly.
The record of 18 days above 110F was tied on Monday, and it appeared destined to be shattered with temperatures forecast above that through the end of the week. David Hondula, chief heat officer for the City of Phoenix, noted that this 'will likely be one of the most notable periods in our health record in terms of deaths and illness'.
Normally, the Southwest's monsoon season kicks in around June 15 with rain and clouds. However, Phoenix had not had measurable rain since mid-March, leading to the current heatwave. People are being urged to keep cool and hydrated to prevent any further heat-related illnesses.
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