Phoenix measured a temperature over 110 degrees for the 19th consecutive day on Tuesday, breaking a previous record for the city set in 1974, according to the National Weather Service, as the Southwest continues to experience record-breaking temperatures.
Phoenix recorded its 19th consecutive day with temperatures of at least 110 degrees on Tuesday.
The temperature in Phoenix reached 110 degrees as of 11:59 MST Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, surpassing the city’s record of 18 days set between July 12 and July 28 in 1974.
Temperatures of at least 110 degrees are forecast until next Monday.
The city also set a record with nine consecutive days with a low temperature above at least 90 degrees, with a low of 94 degrees on Tuesday.
Phoenix previously recorded a high temperature below 110 degrees on June 29, when temperatures reached 108 degrees.
David Hondula, director of the city’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, told the Washington Post that it is “very likely these are the highest temperatures that Phoenicians have ever experienced.”
City officials have warned of the health risks posed by extreme temperatures. At least 12 people have died in Maricopa County so far as of July 8, while 55 others are under investigation as suspected heat-related deaths, according to county data. Frank LoVecchio, an emergency room doctor at a Phoenix-based hospital, told CNN the hospital has “not been this busy with overflow since a few peaks” during the pandemic. The city has set up 60 hydration stations, 30 cooling centers and four respite centers to help residents cool down.
91 million. That’s how many people are under extreme heat advisories nationwide, according to the National Weather Service.
Several cities across the U.S. have set new daily records for extreme temperatures, including Phoenix, which tied its daily high of 116 degrees last week. Officials have warned of continued heat throughout the South, Southwest and the Pacific Northwest, as El Niño brings warmer air north. Forecasters—including the National Weather Service—have urged residents in high-temperature areas to stay hydrated while in air-conditioned rooms. Record temperatures in July follow the hottest June ever, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, and a heat wave that hit the U.S. last year. An estimated 1,500 cities and towns in the U.S. broke records over a 30-day period ending in September.
Millions Suffering Under Stifling Heat: Here’s Where Records Could Be Broken This Week (Forbes)