Phoenix Endures Record-Breaking Heatwave: A Harsh Warning from Climate Change

Phoenix, Arizona, experienced 113 straight days with temperatures exceeding 100°F, causing hundreds of heat-related deaths and an increase in wildfires. This summer broke temperature records, with climate scientists attributing the extreme heat to global warming. The city's most vulnerable, especially unsheltered individuals, have been hardest hit.

Phoenix, Arizona, has endured a record-breaking 113 consecutive days with temperatures soaring above 100°F (38°C) this year, resulting in hundreds of heat-induced fatalities and widespread wildfire activity, officials confirmed.

The city, home to 1.6 million people and the largest municipality in the Sonoran Desert, experienced its hottest summer on record. According to the National Weather Service, this streak shattered Phoenix's previous heat record of 76 continuous days over 100°F set in 1993, with temperatures surpassing the 2023 record by nearly two degrees.

"Experiencing two consecutive record-breaking summers is incredibly rare," remarked Matt Salerno, meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Phoenix office. Thus far, heat has claimed 256 lives in Phoenix's Maricopa County this year, with an additional 393 deaths suspected to be heat-related, putting the county on a grim trajectory to surpass its record of 645 heat fatalities from 2023. A significant number of these deaths involve unsheltered individuals, particularly during July when temperatures regularly hit 118°F. Experts link these alarming trends to global warming fueled by fossil fuel pollution.

In recent years, Phoenix has averaged 40 days of 110°F or higher, a sharp increase from the early 20th century figures. The excessive heat also correlates with a rise in wildfire acreage statewide, as noted by Erinanne Saffell, director of the Arizona State Climate Office. Additionally, a mix of record winter rainfall and intense summer heat has recently ignited wildfires around Los Angeles. (Reporting By Liliana Salgado in Phoenix, additional reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico; Editing by Donna Bryson and Aurora Ellis)

(With inputs from agencies.)