The latest heat wave to bake a part of the globe is underway in Alaska where several locations, including Anchorage, broke single-day records for high temperatures. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Anchorage had its first-ever recorded temperature of at least 90 degrees on Thursday, breaking the previous record of 85 degrees, which was set 50 years ago. > The 4thofjuly2019 was one for the books. Several ALL-TIME high temperature records were set at official observation sites throughout Southern Alaska. But that's not all...there were more daily temperature records set too! AKwx ItsHotInAlaska pic.twitter.com/GxcdUaD9ld> > -- NWS Anchorage (@NWSAnchorage) July 5, 2019Other locations setting new all-time single-day record high temperatures include Kenai (89 degrees) and King Salmon (89 degrees). More records are expected to be set on Friday. SEE ALSO: Scorching France just smashed its temperature recordIn a report, the NWS put it bluntly: "The 4th of July 2019 was a day truly for the record books in the climate department." In fact, the recorded high in Anchorage was hotter than several cities in the lower 48.> High temps, July 4, 2019: > > Los Angeles - 74°F > Flagstaff, AZ - 79°F > Reno, NV - 81°F > Hot Springs, AR - 87°F > Anchorage, Alaska - 90°F https://t.co/QmJyR3omnk> > -- Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) July 5, 2019Meanwhile, the New York Times reports sea surface temperatures have reached upwards of 10 degrees above normal, a level that Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, tells the Times is "astronomical."It's warmer in some parts of Alaska than in usually hotter places in the lower 48 states.Image: Lance King / Getty ImagesA particular set of weather patterns have allowed a dome of heat to settle over southern parts of Alaska. Brian Brettschneider, a climate researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, explained the phenomenon to NBC News: Complicating matters is that a dry June has led to severe drought in some parts of the state, which has raised fire danger levels, too. > A quick look at some statistics for the month of June. The story is that it was wetter than normal for most locations; warmer than normal everywhere. SEAK pic.twitter.com/G0pqoqza0e> > -- NWS Juneau (@NWSJuneau) July 1, 2019While average July high temps for Anchorage usually hover in the mid-60s, temperatures in the Anchorage area are currently forecast to stay well into the 80s through the next week.> Not only is Alaska anomalously hot at the moment, but also Longyearbyen in Svalbard may reach close to the record-breaking temperatures next days. https://t.co/3mj9XWVC5d> > -- Mika Rantanen (@mikarantane) July 5, 2019Alaska's heat wave follows record-breaking temperatures in Europe at the end of June, with climate scientists blaming climate change for the alarming trend. WATCH: Parents and teachers want climate change taught in schools