Some like it hot

The heat was unrelenting in Death

Valley and Las Vegas in July. Here are a few of the sweaty specifics:

■ 107.4 degrees

Death Valley’s average temperature last month, a record for the Western Hemisphere and possibly the world.

■ 95.7 degrees: The average temperature in Las Vegas last month, the second hottest on record behind July 2010, when the average was 96.2.

■ 27: Days of triple-digit highs in Las Vegas last month.

■ 16: Days in July with a high of at least 120 in Death Valley.

■ 103: The overnight low in Death Valley on July 8. The average low temperature for the month was 95.1, a record. month when the high failed to reach triple digits. The hottest it got was 116 on July 7 and the coolest was 74 on July 19.

Only July 2010 was worse, with an average daily temperature of 96.2. The mercury reached triple digits every day that month, something that’s only happened in Las Vegas eight other times since 1931, and never outside of July or August.

Since the National Weather Service announced Death Valley’s new heat record in a Twitter post Tuesday, the story has been picked up by news outlets across the globe.

Gorelow isn’t surprised. He said tourists from around the world — Europe in particular — flock to Death Valley during the summer to experience the extreme heat. “They can’t get that in Europe, so they come here,” he said.

Others seem less impressed by Death Valley’s blistering new benchmark.

“My superintendent gets really excited about these things. I just roll my eyes,” Wines said. “I’m ready for winter.”

Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @Refriedbrean on Twitter.