Relentless heat wave shatters records across US with no end in sight
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on July 18, 2023
(NEW YORK) — Scorching temperatures continue to shatter records amid a relentless heat wave across the United States.
Monday marked the 18th consecutive day that temperatures at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded in Arizona’s capital, tying a record that was set in 1974. A high of 116 degrees was reported at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, tying a record for the same date set in 2005, according to the National Weather Service. The city is expected to break the all-time record for the longest hot streak on Tuesday.
Phoenix shattered another record for going eight straight days without overnight temperatures dipping below 90 degrees. Monday night’s 95 degrees was just shy of the record warmest low of 96 degrees set in 2003. The city is expected to continue with the record-setting trend.
Meanwhile, heat index values in Miami, Florida, reached 109 degrees on Monday, marking the 16th consecutive day that they were at or above 105 degrees. That doubled the city’s previous record of eight straight days set in 2017.
Temperatures have been at or above 100 degrees in El Paso, Texas, for the past 32 days with no end in sight. A high of 109 degrees was reported on Monday, breaking the city’s previous daily record of 106 degrees set in 1980.
Grand Junction, Colorado, saw a high of 107 degrees on Monday, breaking its previous daily record of 104 degrees set in 1971. That also tied the all-time heat record for the area set in 2021.
Temperatures hit 101 degrees in Casper, Wyoming, on Monday, breaking the city’s previous daily record of 99 degrees set in 1977.
Overall, Earth has seen its 15 hottest days on record in the past 15 days. In other words, global temperatures have yet to return to levels recorded prior to July 3. The sweltering trend is expected to continue.
The latest forecast shows hot temperatures will persist for a swath of the U.S. on Tuesday, with 72 million people across 15 states under heat alerts from California to Florida, including the entire state of Louisiana.
Both heat index values and temperatures are expected to reach the 100s in the South again on Tuesday.
This week, heat index values and temperatures in the 120s are forecast to continue for California’s Death Valley while 110s continue for Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Heat index values are expected to remain in the 110s for Corpus Christi, Texas.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
