WEATHER

Phoenix ties record streak with 18 consecutive days over 110 degrees

Jul 18, 2023, 6:00 AM

A person cools off amid searing heat on July 16 in Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix once again hit 110 deg...

A person cools off amid searing heat on July 16 in Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix once again hit 110 degrees on July 17 for a record-tying 18th consecutive day at that temperature or higher as the Southwest sizzles under a deadly, unrelenting heat wave. Photo credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

(CNN) — Phoenix once again hit 110 degrees Monday for a record-tying 18th consecutive day at that temperature or higher as the Southwest sizzles under a deadly, unrelenting heat wave.

The record is expected to be broken Tuesday as the streak continues, with temperatures of at least 115 degrees in the forecast for Phoenix every day through next weekend.

As the scorching triple-digit temperatures persist, there have been 12 confirmed heat related deaths recorded in Phoenix just for the first week of July, and 55 heat related deaths overall so far this year, according to data from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. CNN has reached out to the Maricopa medical examiner for additional information.

Heat is the number one killer of all natural disasters, studies show, and as temperatures continue to rise, scientists expect it to make even more people ill.

With residents cranking up their air conditioning this heat wave, Arizona Public Service utility customers’ demand on Saturday set the record for the most electricity used at once in the utility’s history, according to a news release from the company.

Phoenix has a total of 60 hydration stations, 30 cooling centers and four respite centers for those needing heat relief, Kelly Taft, communications director for Maricopa Association of Governments, told CNN.

It’s not just Arizona sweltering in the intense heat: Over 90 million people are under heat advisories across the United States, including at least 50 million who have been under heat alerts for the past 10 days.

There have been heat alerts for dangerously high temperatures in the Southwest – stretching from Texas to Arizona – for 38 consecutive days dating back to June 10.

And the streak shows no signs of ending any time soon. The heat is expected to continue across the region through at least July 28, and overnight temperatures will provide very little relief, the National Weather Service warned.

More than 1,500 record-high temperatures were recorded in the US so far this month, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Over 35 daily high temperature records were broken on Sunday alone, according to the weather service, with Death Valley, California, hitting a daily record-breaking 128 degrees and Las Vegas shattering its record with 116 degrees.

Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; El Paso, Corpus Christi and Brownsville, Texas; and Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida, are all having their hottest July’s on record to date, according to NOAA climate data.

El Paso reached 100 degrees for the 32nd straight day, “with no end in sight,” the weather service tweeted. The previous record for consecutive days over 100 was 23 in 1994.

“Take the heat seriously and avoid extended time outdoors,” the weather service said. “Temperatures and heat indices will reach levels that would pose a health risk, and be potentially deadly, to anyone without effective and/or adequate hydration.”

Patients being placed in body bags with ice

The Arizona heat has resulted in an increase in hospitalizations at Valleywise Health Medical Center, emergency room doctor Frank LoVecchio told CNN, adding that he has seen 3 to 4 cases per shift of patients who faced death without emergency treatment.

“The heat is taking a major toll,” LoVecchio said. “The hospital has not been this busy with overflow since a few peaks in the Covid pandemic.”

Body temperatures of 107 or higher can result in death or permanent brain damage. LoVecchio said it could take as little as five to 10 minutes to cause brain cell death at these high temperatures.

Valleywise Health Medical Center Communications Director Michael Murphy told CNN that in some extreme cases, they are placing patients in body bags packed with ice to help cool them off, adding the burn center has been “slammed” with patients experiencing contact burns.

LoVecchio said that pavement in the sun can reach up to 180 degrees. Patients may fall on the pavement due to dehydration, heat stroke or another medical condition, he said.

“It doesn’t cool down here at all and surface temps can get so ridiculously high and people can get burns in a matter of seconds,” Murphy said.

Over the past five years, Murphy said contact burns have become a “big problem.”

Everyone is susceptible to heat related injuries, including those who have lived in Arizona for their entire lives, Maricopa County Department of Public Health spokesperson Sonia Singh said.

“It doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived in the heat, how old you are or how healthy you are,” Singh said. “It impacts everyone.”

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Weather

Ice Castles lit in pink and blue shades like cotton candy...

Michael Houck

Ice Castles close early due to warm weather

A popular winter attraction in Utah is ending early because of the shorter-than-expected winter season.

8 hours ago

Big Cottonwood Canyon was closed after a car slid off the road on Feb. 7, 2025....

Mary Culbertson

Car slides off road in Big Cottonwood Canyon, shutting down road

A car sliding off of the road in Big Cottonwood Canyon caused a road closure on Friday.

12 hours ago

The formations are called ice shoves because, well, they look like stacks of ice. Just piles of wha...

Diana Jones

Ice shoves: What are they and where to find them

The formations are called ice shoves due to them looking like stacks of ice. It happens when the surface of a lake turns to ice but breaks apart.

2 days ago

Davis County learned over the weekend that the temporary Davis County warming center it was using i...

Bryanna Willis

Davis County warming center changes location due to early building demolition

A Davis County warming center has changed its location after the city got word that the building it was originally using is set for an early demolition.

3 days ago

Utah's ski resorts...

Eric Cabrera

What does the warm weather mean for Utah’s ski resorts?

Utah's ski resorts are staying busy through the unseasonably warm weather.

4 days ago

People walk at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City on Jan. 3....

Carter Williams, KSL.com

Record-breaking warmth, windy conditions forecast this week

Salt Lake City is one of a few cities that broke a high-temperature record on Sunday, but more record-warm temperatures are forecast across Utah.

5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

A surprise gift, wrapped and ready to bring holiday cheer! Whether for Christmas, a birthday, or an...

Western Nut

10 Holiday Gift Ideas to cover everyone on your list

This guide is for you if you need holiday gift ideas that will make a lasting impression. 

Phoenix ties record streak with 18 consecutive days over 110 degrees