123 degrees! Palm Springs ties all time temperature record

After first reporting a record shattering 124 degrees (the hottest ever recorded in the history of Palm Springs) the National Weather Service scaled back the official high to 123 degrees, only the fourth time in recorded history that Palm Springs has gotten that hot. Just after 3:00 Thursday afternoon, Palm Springs Airport hit 124 degrees, shattering the old record of 116, as a widespread heatwave envelopes the west coast. The previous hottest temperature ever recorded in Palm Springs was 123 degrees on several occasions. But before 5:00PM, the NWS said it was sticking with 123 degrees as the temperature that will be the official high for Thursday. 123 degrees is the hottest ever recorded in the month of June in Palm Springs. The previous record was 122.

Temperatures in the Coachella Valley rose faster than expected Thursday, prompting forecasters to revise estimates for expected highs. NBC Palm Springs meteorologist Jerry Steffan had said that it was altogether possible for Palm Springs to reach 123 degrees.

Other current temperatures just after 1:00PM included 117 in Thermal and Thousand Palms, 119 in Palm Desert, and 115 in Indio. The 122 in Palm Springs is the hottest in the United States, hotter than even Death Valley where at 3:00PM it was 121 degrees.

Grid operators for California’s electrical supply have issued a Flex Alert asking customers to conserve electricity in the wake of the oppressive heat.