July 19, 2023 – The city of Phoenix set two heat records on Tuesday and is heading in the right direction for a 3rd record today.
The temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport reached a record high of 118 degrees Fahrenheit, beating the previous each day record of 115 degrees set in 1989. The normal temperature for the day is 107 degrees, in line with town. National Weather Service Office.
The rising temperatures also put town within the record books for a heat wave. Tuesday was the nineteenth day in a row that temperatures on the airport reached 109 degrees or higher, breaking the record of 18 days set in 1974. It's also a national record. None of the 25 most populous cities within the U.S. had such an extended run of 109-degree days.
Phoenix has seen 22 days of temperatures of 43 degrees or higher this 12 months, and a number of other more are forecast. Normally, town sees 21 days of temperatures of 43 degrees or higher annually.
Another recent record is probably going this morning, the weather service tweeted, because the morning low of 97 degrees can be the best low temperature ever recorded in town.
The lack of relief from warm temperatures overnight is difficult on people’s bodies, which need a break from the warmth to operate properly, said Lara Cushing, PhD, assistant professor of environmental health sciences on the The California State University.
“We know from studies of extreme heat events that the health effects are worse when the heat continues overnight,” Cushing said in an article about hot nights on the university's website. “The body tries to maintain a relatively constant temperature within an area, and when you're exposed to heat for long periods of time, that's difficult.”
While healthy individuals are vulnerable to heat stress during extreme heat events just like the one currently affecting much of the United States, those that are sick or have certain medical conditions are at particular risk.
“People with certain pre-existing conditions, such as heart or kidney problems, are even more vulnerable,” Cushing said. “And older people who live alone and pregnant women are particularly at risk – their temperature-regulating systems are often not as good at cooling the body.”