Phoenix records record high for 2nd straight day

PHOENIX – For the second day in a row, the high temperature in Phoenix hit a record for the date when 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius) was reported Sunday.

The National Weather Service said the previous record of 111 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) for Sept. 6 was set in 2013.

The record came amid a western heat wave that drove temperatures into triple digits in California, Nevada and Arizona that set or approached historical high temperatures and strained energy systems in California and Nevada.

Phoenix on Saturday set a high-temperature record of 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) for the date, breaking a previous record set in 1945.

The city’s fire department on Sunday was called to rescue hikers reporting heat symptoms on two different urban hiking areas across the city. The Phoenix Fire Department said one female hiker walked down a Deems Hill Recreation Area trail with the assistance of rescuers before being transported to the hospital for treatment. A group hiking Camelback Mountain was escorted down by rescuers and medically evaluated but none required transportation to the hospital, the department said.

In southern Arizona, Tucson was expected to hit 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius). In northern Arizona, an excessive heat warning included the Grand Canyon and temperatures were reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) in Flagstaff.