Death Valley could break its own world heat record amid heat wave sweeping across California

As a detrimental heatwave sweeps across California and much of the West Coast, Southwest and Southern U.S. this week and into next, the hottest place on Earth is preparing to break yet another world temperature record .

In 2020 and 2021, meteorologists recorded temperatures of 130 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley National Park, a famous natural landmark that borders Nevada on California's eastern edge. It's just to the northwest of Las Vegas.

Now, weather officials are anticipating even higher temperatures as a heat dome crosses over the region. A forecaster with the National Weather Service's Las Vegas office spoke to local publication SFGATE , stating, "The best chances for the park to hit 130 would be Monday and Tuesday next week." Brian Planz added that the chance on both days is about 25% and highly dependent on exactly how the weather fronts move.

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He told the publication that the ridge of high pressure that's sweeping across the region would need to cross over the park at exactly the right time, trapping the heat in the valley that sits about 282 feet below sea level, according to Scientific American . Specifically, the high-pressure front would need to be centered around the NWS's official temperature gauge in Furnace Creek.

As it stands, temperatures are expected to reach 127 degrees on Monday, but that could change if the conditions are just right. In an email to SFGATE, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said the chances of the temperature record being broken are slim.

He said "130 might be a bit of a stretch" but added that "there's always at least a couple of degrees of uncertainty in specific predictions like this," referring to the one that forecasts temperatures of 127 degrees Fahrenheit. But he said the implications of 127 versus 130 "are about the same."

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A park ranger told SFGATE that she was there when the temperature gauge hit 130 degrees Fahrenheit in 2021. Jennette Jurado told the publication that she stepped outside for just a couple of minutes, but that was enough time for her ranger badge to reach such a temperature that it burned her skin through her uniform.

"It left a red mark," she told SFGATE, adding that the type of heat she experienced was similar to opening a hot oven. "You get that blast of hot air in your face, but this isn't just your face — it's heating up your whole body."

When it gets above 120 degrees, which is already as hot as the lowest setting on some ovens, your eyes can feel "intensely hot," she told the publication, stating that she could "start to feel that in [her] face in a completely different way."

Park officials recommend that people take shelter in cool areas once temperatures hit 120 degrees or higher, urging them not to stay outside for more than 10 minutes. There is currently an alert in effect at the park urging people to drink water and only hike before 10 a.m. lest they could experience the extreme heat.

When temperatures reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, phones can shut down within seconds. "We had visitors asking to take a photo because their cellphones were shut down. We saw reporters come in with ice packs for their cameras to keep their equipment functioning for a story," Jarudo told SFGATE.