Ryan Ler on WNYC, and now our climate story of the week, which we do every Tuesday on the show,

on a day when it's considered possible that one place in the United States might break the all-time heat

record for anywhere on earth. Have you heard this? A high temperature of 128 degrees was recorded

on Saturday and Sunday at Death Valley National Park in eastern California. One visitor on a

motorcycle died Saturday from heat exposure, or he was there on a

motorcycle trip, and another person was hospitalized. By some estimates, 130 is the hottest temperature

ever recorded on Earth a few years ago, also in Death Valley, and they may hit that again today. Meanwhile, in Texas,

Hurricane Barrel made landfall in southern Texas and Louisiana at its peak. That hurricane was a

record chatter in Category 5 storm, but has since been reduced, thankfully, as it hit land,

to a far less powerful tropical depression. But at its

peak, the reason it was said to have broken a record is that it was the strongest hurricane in

history for this early in the hurricane season, another indication of global warming.

Barrel became the first storm in the Atlantic hurricane season to make

landfall in the U.S. after tearing through the Caribbean. The National Weather Service has also issued

heat advisories for today through tomorrow for most of our New York City, greater New York City

area. So all of this is going on. And I know

weather does not equal climate, but when there is weather in certain patterns, it does. It

at least indicates climate. So let's talk about that relationship in these instances. Joining

us now to discuss is Bob Henson, meteorologist, journalist,

and regular contributor to Yale Climate Connections. Bob, hi, welcome back to WNYC.

Hi, Brian. Great to be back here with you. Let's talk about the all-time high temperature

recorded on Earth. I read one version that said it was 134 at one time. I guess

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