California's Death Valley Sets New Record for Hottest Month

01This is what's trending today.

02California's Death Valley may have just set a world record for hottest month ever.

03The area's average temperature for the month of July was 42.28 degrees Celsius.

04That is higher than the earlier world record set last July in Death Valley as well.

05Todd Larikos, a weather expert for the National Weather Service, said the record beat last year's record by quite a bit.

06He added that the data still needed to be further examined before going into official record books.

07The temperatures are measured at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park.

08Death Valley got its name from a group of pioneers who became lost there in 1849 and 1850.

09They feared they were all going to die, the National Park Service says.

10And one person in the group did, before the rest found their way out.

11In the springtime, Death Valley National Park bursts to life with visitors who come to see the desert wildflowers.

12But by May, Death Valley is already extremely hot, the National Park Service says.

13Visitors from around the world still come, but not to see the blooms.

14Instead, they want to experience one of the hottest places on Earth.

15Summer heat there is so extreme that travelers are warned to drink at least four liters of water each day, carry extra water in their cars, stay close to their vehicles, and watch themselves and others for signs of heat illness.

16Summer visitors are urged to travel prepared to survive, avoid hiking at low elevations, and return to their air-conditioned cars after just 10 to 15 minutes of being outside.

17Last month, Death Valley recorded high temperatures of above 48 degrees Celsius for 17 of the last 18 days of July.

18For four consecutive days, high temperatures reached 52 degrees Celsius.

19And that's what's trending today.

20I'm Brian Lynn.