Earth records its hottest temperature this week, weekend brings thunderstorms and flash flood warnings

Record high temperatures were recorded this week, with Earth breaking the world record for the hottest temperature ever recorded two days in a row, and temperatures reaching a near record high in Salt Lake City.

Sunday initially broke the record as the hottest temperature recorded since recording began in 1940, but its status as the hottest day on planet Earth was short-lived. Its record was beaten the following day on Monday, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service , with the daily global average temperature reaching 62.87 degrees Fahrenheit, or 17.15 degrees Celsius. Prior to this week, the previous high temperature record was hit in July of 2023, according to Copernicus.

Much of the Beehive State, including its capital city, got its fair share of the widespread heat. Fox 13 reported that Wednesday’s Pioneer Day brought high temperatures of 105 degrees Fahrenheit to Salt Lake City, a record set nearly 100 years ago in 1931. Still, the highest temperature ever recorded in Salt Lake City is 107 degrees, “which has been matched five times since the National Weather Service began collecting city weather data in 1874,” KSL reported.

What’s behind the high temperatures?

There are several factors behind the extreme heat, including above-average temperatures in Antarctica, seasonal patterns in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere that determine temperatures across the globe and the effects of burning fossil fuels, The New York Times reported. “Antarctic sea ice extent is almost as low as it was at this time last year , leading to much above-average temperatures over parts of the Southern Ocean,” per Copernicus .

Another contributing factor to the high temperatures is El Niño, a climate pattern in which “warmer waters cause the Pacific jet stream to move south of its neutral position. With this shift, areas in the northern U.S. and Canada are dryer and warmer than usual. But in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southeast, these periods are wetter than usual and have increased flooding,” according to the National Ocean Service .

The high temperatures prompted a response and call to action from the United Nations, whose Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said , “Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and planet. The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures.”

A mixed forecast for the West

Following the extreme heat in the past few days, the latter half of this week is forecast to bring thunderstorms and strong winds to much of the West as well as the Southeastern United States, with some areas being at risk for flash flooding .

Meanwhile, dozens of wildfires still burn across the Western U.S., including 34 in Oregon and 15 in California, the National Interagency Fire Center reports.

“As of this morning, 89 large active wildfires are being managed and have burned 1,611,409 acres,” according to the center. The smoke from wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and Canada has traveled into the Great Plains, significantly impacting air quality, according to Axios .

In Utah, rain showers and thunderstorms are expected Thursday and Friday throughout a large portion of the state, slightly cooling temperatures down. “Slightly cooler temps with scattered rain chances for the Wasatch Front with triple-digit heat and isolated flash flood potential across southern Utah,” per ABC4 .