A motorcyclist traveling with a pack of riders died from heat exposure Saturday in Death Valley as large swaths of the US continue to grapple with triple-digit temperatures or close to it.
The unidentified motorcyclist died from the punishing hot weather while the group of six were riding through Death Valley National Park, officials said. A second motorcyclist was rushed to a Las Vegas hospital for “severe heat illness” while the four others were treated at the scene.
The temperature at the vast park was 128 degrees on Saturday. Because of that scorcher, a helicopter was unable to fly to reach the motorcyclists and transport them to hospitals.
“While this is a very exciting time to experience potential world record setting temperatures in Death Valley, we encourage visitors to choose their activities carefully, avoiding prolonged periods of time outside of an air-conditioned vehicle or building when temperatures are this high,” park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said.
An excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service covered about 10% of the US population — or 36 million people — Sunday, said NWS meteorologist Bryan Jackson.
Dozens of locations across the West and Pacific Northwest tied or broke previous heat records.