July 2024 was the hottest month California has ever seen, with temperatures spiking up to 129 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley in southern California on July 7.
California saw temperatures 7 degrees F warmer than the July average, and 2 degrees above the previous hottest month, with Death Valley seeing an average temperature of 108.5 degrees F, according to The National Park Service (NPS).
"July was by far California's hottest month on record, blowing previous records out of the water," weather analyst Colin McCarthy wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "July 2024 was nearly 2 degrees warmer than the previous hottest month on record, July 2018, and 7 degrees (!) above the July average. These are preposterous anomalies considering this is the average temperature of the entire state."
"A truly unprecedented month of heat," he said.
This comes as the planet as a whole saw its two hottest days on record on July 22 and July 23, averaging roughly 62.9 degrees F across the entire globe.
These record-breaking California temperatures were triggered by an extreme heatwave lasting for much of the month. One person reportedly died in Death Valley due to the extreme heat, with another needing to be rescued after receiving second-degree burns from the hot ground, NPS said. Heat-related complications cause over 1,000 deaths per year across the U.S., according to the CDC.
"We just experienced the hottest month in history in the hottest place on Earth! Six of the 10 hottest summers have come in the past 10 years, which should serve as a wake up call," said NPS Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement. "Record-breaking months like this one could become the norm as we continue to see global temperatures rise. Visitors to the park should plan ahead and come prepared to face extreme temperatures during the summer months."
A report by NOAA reveals that several locations across California saw temperature records smashed, including Palm Springs at 124 degrees F on July 5, Redding at 119 degrees F on July 6, and Barstow at 118 F on July 7 and 8.
The extreme heat also brought with it wildfires, sparking the Park Fire in Butte County, which grew to over 400,000 acres, becoming the fourth-largest wildfire in California history.
It's unclear if August will bring temperatures quite as hot as July, but the NOAA report suggests temperatures will be above average in California once again.
"Above-average temperatures are favored to impact areas across the western and southeastern portions of the U.S. in August, while below-average precipitation is likely to occur in the Northwest and south-central Plains. Drought is likely to persist in the Northwest, Central Plains and Hawaii."
However, in the coming years, these kinds of heatwaves are expected by some to become the norm, thanks to climate change.
"July warming has rapidly accelerated in California in the 21st century due to climate change," McCarthy said on X. "We are in a completely new climate that is only going to get warmer and more extreme."
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