Episode Details

Forget Death Valley—Santa Barbara, California, may have hit the planet’s hottest temperature ever, clocking in at a blistering 133°F back in June 1859. While Death Valley’s 134°F record still stands, its accuracy is seriously questioned due to faulty placement and poor ventilation of the thermometer. Eyewitness accounts from French newspapers and local papers describe an apocalyptic heatwave that roasted fruit, killed animals, and felt like nothing in decades. The culprit? “Sundowner” winds—hot air pushed over mountains and down into coastal towns, superheating as it descends. This rare meteorological event challenges what we think we know about Earth’s extreme heat—and hints that history’s weather records might hold even more surprises.

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