Phoenix hits 110 for 19th straight day, breaking US city records in worldwide heat wave

A digital billboard displays an unofficial temperature, Monday, July 17, 2023, in downtown Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
A digital billboard displays an unofficial temperature, Monday, July 17, 2023, in downtown Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

The extreme heat scorching Phoenix sets a new record today, the 19th consecutive day temperatures hit at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) in a summer of suffering echoing around much of the globe.

As human-caused climate change and a newly formed El Nino are combining to shatter heat records worldwide, the Phoenix region stands apart among major metropolitan areas in the US.

No other major city – defined as the 25 most populous in the United States – has had any streak of 110-degree days or 90-degree nights longer than Phoenix, says weather historian Christopher Burt of the Weather Company.

With Tuesday’s low of 94, the city has had nine straight days of temperatures that didn’t go below 90 at night, breaking another record there, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno, who called it “pretty miserable when you don’t have any recovery overnight.”

On Monday, the city set a record for the hottest overnight low temperature: 95 (35 degrees Celsius).

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