Photos show tourists pushing their bodies to extremes while visiting Death Valley, California, even as temperatures reached 130 degrees Fahrenheit

• California's Death Valley has long been considered the hottest place on Earth. 
• Despite warnings from the National Weather Service, tourists visited the valley in droves.
• Photos show people walking around as temperatures reached over 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

California's Death Valley has long been considered the hottest place on Earth. 

From its arid sand dunes to its rocky crevasses, the topography could trick you into believing it belongs to a planet much closer to the sun than ours. The fascination surrounding Death Valley, its otherworldly appearance and sweat-inducing temperatures, is likely why droves of tourists continue to visit and brave sky-rocketing temperatures, even during a heatwave that's had its grip on the West Coast for the better part of a week. 

While temperatures have not exceeded the hottest on record, set in 1913 when heat levels soared to 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.6 degrees Celsius), they've come pretty close, The Guardian reported.

In fact, the National Weather Service said heat levels reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.33 degrees Celsius) on Sunday at Furnace Creek, the Associated Press reported. 

As of Wednesday, the National Park Service (NPS) is still issuing an "Extreme Summer Heat" alert, warning tourists to "travel prepared to survive" as temperatures are expected to climb between 110 degrees Fahrenheit to 120+ degrees Fahrenheit. The NPS did not immediately respond to Insider's request. 

And yet, despite the heat, tourists have flocked to Death Valley in droves. Some are going explicitly to experience that extreme weather for themselves — one tourist told Channel 4 News that she was visiting Death Valley for the first time because she thought it would be "a cool thing" to be there for possibly the "hottest day on Earth."

In doing so, they've pushed their bodies to the limit.