This week, Phoenix, Arizona, set a new heat record. Tuesday marked the 100th straight day where the temperature reached at least 100 degrees. The previous record, 76 days in a row, was set in 1993, and we blew right by those weeks ago. CBS News explains:
"That is definitely an eye-catching number," NWS meteorologist Sean Benedict said.
The temperature hit 102 F in Phoenix on May 27 and has made it to triple digits every day since. In 2023, Phoenix — also known as the "hottest large city in America" — endured a record 31 consecutive days of 110-plus degree weather in July.
Arizona is not the only state suffering, as much of the Western United States is in the same hot predicament. And there's no end in sight, unfortunately. Thank goodness many locales are setting up cooling stations, but there clearly aren't enough. CBS News reports that in Maricopa County alone, as of August 24, there have been over 150 heat-related deaths, with 443 more currently under investigation.
To learn more about Arizona's extreme heat records, check out these stats from the National Weather Service.
Previously:
• Phoenix, Arizona continues its streak of record-breaking temperatures: 19 days over 110 degrees and counting
