Inside: Two more heat-related deaths are confirmed in the county. Plus, places the homeless can go to get out of the heat.
The number of heat-associated deaths this year has risen from two to four, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health confirmed.
The count of suspected heat-associated deaths — those still under investigation — also rose from 12 to 14. The majority of those happened in the past three weeks.
Both newly confirmed deaths occurred last week, according to a report released by the department on a weekly basis.
The victims were both men in their 60s, a department official said. One death occurred indoors where there was a nonfunctioning air-conditioner. The other happened outdoors.
One was determined to be heat-caused, which is when environmental heat "was directly involved in the sequence of conditions causing deaths," according to the department's definition. The other was classified as heatrelated, where heat was considered a contributing factor.
This time last year, one heat-associated death was confirmed, while 16 more were under investigation. Last year was a record year for heat-associated deaths in the Valley, with 130 total, compared with 84 in 2015 and 61 in 2014.
The report comes as metro Phoenix confronts another excessive-heat warning from the National Weather Service, which goes into effect Saturday and ends Thursday. Temperatures are forecast to climb to 120 degrees or more on Tuesday.
"Heat is an area of great public health concern in Arizona and specifically in Maricopa County," said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, a medical director at the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, in an interview last week.
Heat can impact a person's health in a lot of different ways. High temperatures are associated with respiratory problems and put more stress on vulnerable populations , like the elderly or those with chronic conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state's hot season could lengthen in the coming decades. Projections show an increase in maximum temperatures statewide, according to a 2015 report from Arizona State University researchers, prepared for the state's Department of Health Services.
During the heat advisory, the National Weather Service recommends getting any outdoor activities done early in the day or after sunset, staying hydrated and wearing breathable clothing.
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