Record set for 110° days
Sunday, the high temperature topped 110 degrees or higher for the 34th day this year, a Phoenix record. That record was broken Monday, marking the 35th day of the year. And the counting continues with daily highs forecast to top 110 later this week.
Sunday may forever be known as the day Phoenix broke “a record nobody really wants,” weather officials say.
The city on Sunday broke its heat record for having the most 110-degree days in a year, National Weather Service officials in Phoenix confirmed in a tweet.
For 34 days this year as of Sunday, Phoenix met or exceeded 110-degree high temperatures — the most in a year since the city’s previous record of 33 days set in 2011.
“We did 33 this year, which was set yesterday, and today we’re probably going to have day 34, which is a record nobody really wants,” meteorologist Andrew Deemer told The Republic about two hours before the record was broken.
However, with high temperatures forecast for several days this week, the feat could be short-lived, according to Deemer. On Monday, Phoenix added day 35 to its record when temperatures that afternoon reached 111 degrees at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to officials.
“Most likely it’ll be over 40 days and counting by this time or earlier next week, and who knows when it’s going to end,” meteorologist Chris Breckenridge said.
With a forecast high of nearly 110 degrees, Tuesday was anticipated to be the “coolest” day of the week, according to meteorologist Matthew Hirsch.
Temperatures would again warm to 110 degrees or above on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before peaking between 112 and 115 degrees over the weekend, Hirsch said.
“July of this year was actually the hottest month of all time,” Hirsch said. “The main reason it’s been so hot is because it’s been so dry; normally when you get moisture it keeps things a little bit cooler but the pattern has been really persistent in such a way that we really haven’t been able to import much moisture into the area so we’ve had this persistent dryness and then heat comes along with that.”
He said this year’s monsoon season was probably the driest in at least 30 years.
An excessive heat watch was in effect Wednesday through Sunday, according to Hirsch. There was a possibility it would be upgraded to a heat warning, he said.
During heat warnings, Deemer said people should stay hydrated and inside during the hottest times of the day.
“A lot of people are going outside, taking walks, and I really encourage people to try to do that as early in the morning as possible, and make sure to carry water with you ... just be prepared,” he said.