The daily maximum temperatures in California’s Death Valley are currently over 50 degrees. A motorcyclist paid for this with his life at the weekend. With peak temperatures of around 53 degrees, a group of bikers overheated so much that one of them was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hottest place in the world
Several other members of the group were taken to a hospital in Las Vegas. Death Valley in the eastern California desert and Nevada is considered the hottest place on earth. The measurement at the Greenland Ranch in July 1913 is recognized as a world record. At that time, an incredible 56.7 degrees was measured – which a scientist in 2016 classified as “not possible” from a meteorological point of view and suspected a measurement error. At 86 meters below sea level, Death Valley is also the deepest and driest place in North America.
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The shape of the narrow basin contributes significantly to the temperatures, as the steep mountains around it radiate the heat back into the valley. In addition, the clear, dry air and the sparse plant growth ensure that the ground heats up considerably in the sunlight. The problem in emergencies: when temperatures exceed 49 degrees, even helicopters can no longer land in the valley.
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Image: (APA/AFP/ETIENNE LAURENT)
Source: Nachrichten
