The record-breaking temperature was reported in Los Angeles, California, where measurements reached 49°C (121°F) on Sunday.
Los Angeles reached its highest-ever recorded temperature on Sunday. With heatwaves and wildfires continuing to blanket the Californian West Coast, the adverse climate reading was measured at a station in Woodland Hills.
Woodland Hills not only recorded the highest-ever temperature in LA County, but also set the precedent for other counties including Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. The temperature of 49°C (121°F) was slightly higher than the previous record (119°F), set almost fifteen years ago on July 22, 2006.
Temperatures have remained consistently high as the heatwave persists, leaving residents in California, Nevada, and Arizona with a sweltering anxiety. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), more than 2,094,955 acres have already fallen fate to the harshness of the wildfires.
Dangerous and deadly record breaking heat today across SW Calif. ALL-TIME record highs expected for some locations! Many valley/desert areas expected to hit 110-120°, with portions of the coastal plain soaring over 100°. #LAheat #LAWeather #cawx #Socal pic.twitter.com/nfLZhVoDLj
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) September 6, 2020
“Woodland Hills is the last place to get the effects of sea breeze. It’s tucked in the west corner of the San Fernando Valley,” Dave Bruno, senior meteorologist for NWS told CNN.
“This record heat was in a perfect or imperfect situation. High temperatures from surface to atmosphere, weak offshore flow and just enough to keep away the sea breeze,” he continued.
So let me get this straight: there are once-in-a-generation fires in California, during a massive heat wave, while PG&E announces statewide power blackouts, and the prisoners we normally use to solve these problems can’t help because they’re dying en masse from a global pandemic?
— 💀 tbone 💀 (@crulge) September 7, 2020
It comes as Death Valley reported Earth’s highest temperature on record just weeks ago. But it wasn’t just the Woodland Hills region that broke the climate history books on Sunday. Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County also hit its highest temperature on record at 47°C (117°F). It’s expected that there will be a slight cooling period as of today, with hopes that temperatures continue to decline in the Californian regions.
The 121° high temperature at Woodland Hills official site (Pierce College) was also the highest official temperature ever recorded in L.A. County as well as Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. Click the URL for more details #cawx #LAheat https://t.co/wDCq45s0No pic.twitter.com/TAZuWF2vtG
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) September 6, 2020
Not only have the wildfires destroyed significant amounts of land and habitat (as they did for our poor koalas in the recent Aussie bushfires), but they have also placed an incredible amount of pressure on power sources, creating lengthy blackouts and strains on the grid system.
Furthermore, air quality is at a considerable low. Environmentalists warn that climate change will continue to prolong the ferocity of the wildfires. Could this finally be a wake-up call? Don’t hold your breath.
Just felt an earthquake during a heat wave in a drought while waiting for power shutoffs from BOTH wildfire risk and/or energy shortages during a global pandemic as the outside air remains unbreathable from smoke.
Apocalypse bingo complete! #california
— Ben Gould (@bgould4berkeley) September 6, 2020
