Phoenix’s streak of over 100-degree temperatures reaches 100th day
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on September 4, 2024
(PHOENIX) — Phoenix reached a sweltering milestone Tuesday, with Arizona’s capital city logging its 100th straight day of over 100-degree weather.
The National Weather Service (NWS) Phoenix took to X to share the record-breaking news, warning that the dangerously high temperatures are forecast to continue.
“Phoenix has just reached this mark today and the streak is expected to continue, with no end currently in sight,” NWS Phoenix wrote, adding, “This is by far the longest streak on record.”
The previous record was 76 straight days set in 1993, according to the agency.
Triple-digit temperatures began in Phoenix on May 27, when the city experienced the first 102-degree F day of the streak, and temperatures have stayed consistently high or higher ever since.
The measurements are taken at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to the agency.
Ariane Middel, a professor at Arizona State University’s Urban Climate Research Center, called the milestone “a historic and alarming benchmark in our ongoing struggle with extreme heat.”
“The prolonged heat exacerbates health risks, especially for vulnerable populations,” Middel said.
Heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion and heatstroke, occur when a person’s body temperature rises faster than the body can cool itself, and can damage the brain and other vital organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Early symptoms can include dizziness, headaches, nausea, weakness and fatigue, according to the agency.
The public health agency further notes that older adults, the very young and people with chronic diseases and mental illnesses are at the highest risk of heat illnesses.
“This record-breaking heat in Phoenix highlights the urgent need for national awareness of extreme heat. The prolonged exposure to such high temperatures is not just a local issue here in Phoenix but part of broader climate trends that could affect other regions,” she added.
Phoenix is poised to set another extreme heat record the next time the thermostat reaches 110 degrees, which could come later this week, according to officials.
In 2023, Phoenix set the previous record of 54 days with temperatures at or above 110 degrees — and on Friday, the city matched that mark.
Earlier Tuesday, NWS Phoenix shared an “Excessive Heat Warning” for the region as temperatures are expected to reach 10 degrees above normal in the city and across much of the southwest from Wednesday through Friday.
Temperatures could approach 100 degrees in Los Angeles, California and close to 114 in Phoenix.
“Remember to practice smart heat safety by staying hydrated and limiting your time outdoors,” the agency cautioned.
This comes as more than 35 million Americans in eight states are on heat and wildfire alerts from California to North Dakota.
Extreme heat has been a reality this summer for the U.S. and worldwide.
July 2024 was the hottest month ever recorded since global records began in 1850, according to the Global Climate Report from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
It was also the 14th consecutive month in which the temperature record was broken, according to the report.
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