The temperature in Death Valley National Park is expected to skyrocket this weekend, potentially reaching a high of 129 degrees on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

If the temperature hits above 130 degrees, it would set the record for the hottest temperature ever "reliably measured on earth," as reported by the Scientific American.

The hottest temperature ever reliably recorded is 130 degrees, recorded twice at Death Valley in 2020 and 2021. Both readings are pending verification by the World Meteorological Organization.

Longstanding high temperature marks from a century ago have been met with skepticism in recent years. The record of 134 degrees in Death Valley in 1913 has been called into question over its accuracy, as has a 131-degree reading from 1931 in Tunisia. And a 1922 reading of 136.4 degrees in Libya was officially discredited by the WMO in 2012.

As for whether a 130-degree reading will come to fruition in the coming days?

"The threshold is certainly not out of the realm of possibility," Chris Outler, a forecaster with the weather service's Las Vegas office, which predicts weather in Death Valley, told USA TODAY on Wednesday.

Death Valley temperature forecast

Over the next week, the following high temperatures are forecast for Death Valley's Furnace Creek:

  • Saturday: 126 degrees
  • Sunday: 129 degrees
  • Monday: 127 degrees
  • Tuesday: 128 degrees
  • Wednesday: 126 degrees
  • Thursday: 125 degrees

Coachella Valley also feeling the heat

About 300 miles south, in Coachella Valley, residents may see 11 straight days with temperatures of 115 degrees or higher, the Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network previously reported. According to weather service, that would break the former record of nine days of temperatures of at least 115 degrees set in 2021.

The all-time record high for Palm Springs is 123 degrees, recorded June 17, 2021.

On Saturday there is a 20% chance of breaking the 123-degree record. The probability of an all-time record high on Saturday is 8%.

In the Central Valley, the city of Fresno is forecasted to reach 115 on Saturday, tying a record for that day.

Contributing: Desert Sun

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