Will Death Valley flirt with a world record next week? It’s on the table – The Weather Network

A long-duration heat wave is forecast in British Columbia, with maximum temperatures on the South Coast to rise into the low- to mid-30s, with the Interior temperatures soaring well into the upper 30s.

The wildfire danger will abruptly rise into next week with low relative humidity and scorching hot temperatures.

Why does Death Valley get so hot?

The reason why it gets so extremely hot is because of its elevation.

The scorching Death Valley is 7,800 square kilometres in size with challenging heat and elevation changes.

The Badwater Basin is a pure-white salt flat and sits at 282 metres below sea level –– making it the lowest point in all of North America. Because of that, and the tall mountains that line the valley, air sinks down the mountainsides and compresses and heats as it does. As a result, air temperatures get hotter and hotter.

Thumbnail courtesy of Getty Images/Tobiasjo/1296441088-170667a.

With files from Jaclyn Whittal, Laura Power and Tyler Hamilton, meteorologists at The Weather Network, and Nathan Howes, a digital reporter at The Weather Network.