Death Valley and the temperature-record debate

The World Meteorological Organization still lists 56.7°C (134°F) at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, measured on July 10, 1913, as the highest officially recorded air temperature on Earth. In 2025, however, a new critical assessment of the historical observation appeared in the *Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society*. Its authors argue that the value may have been too high and recommend reconsidering its status. At the time of this publication, the issue remains scientifically contested; the official WMO list still includes the 1913 record.