World Record Temperature Could Be Broken Amid Scorching Heatwave

California's Death Valley is expected to reach a sweltering 130 degrees next week, potentially nearing the world's record highest temperature of 134 degrees set in 1913. The intense heat wave is forecast to intensify over the weekend, affecting parts of the west, Southwest, and Mid-Atlantic. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued an excessive heat warning through Wednesday for the park and Las Vegas Valley, as temperatures are expected to hit 12 to 14 degrees above the seasonal average.

Numerous record-breaking temperatures can be exp ected through the next few days. Locally higher temperatures into the 120s are possible in the typical hot spots of the Desert Southwest. The triple-digit heat will expand northward into the Pacific Northwest and parts of the central Great Basin, with widespread highs rising into the 90s and low 100s. The duration of this heat is also concerning as scorching above average temperatures are forecast to linger into next week," the NWS said .

The heat wave has already fueled wildfires in California and is expected to set hundreds of records before it relents. Over 70 percent of California is under an excessive-heat warning, with heat alerts extending seven days into the future, an unprecedented duration.

The heat wave is part of the hottest year on record so far for the planet, with the last 13 months, including June, setting record highs. Studies have found that heat domes such as this are becoming larger and more intense because of human-caused climate change.