Tuesday marks hottest day of the year in Phoenix at 116 degrees

PHOENIX — Tuesday was the hottest day of the year in Phoenix, with the National Weather Service recording high temperatures of 116 degrees.

Phoenix has tied the daily record at 116°. Wowzers! I hope you're being safe. #azwx

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) July 24, 2018

Tuesday also tied the daily heat record in the city, which was recorded four years ago in 2014.

Thousands of people in the West Valley were suffering from power outages on Tuesday afternoon.

The record-tying temperatures came about 24 hours after a heat record was broken on Monday.

The National Weather Service said Phoenix broke its daily heat record for July 23 after recording a high temperature of 115 degrees.

The old daily record for July 23 was also set in 2014 at 114 degrees.

The city was in the midst of a Valley-wide excessive heat watch that was expected to hang around through Wednesday. Highs could range from 114 to 118 degrees.

With some of the highest Southwest temperatures over the next few days expected in Phoenix, officials cautioned people to stay hydrated and take advantage of cooler indoor buildings.

“Nationwide, heat is the #1 heat-related killer,” the weather service in Phoenix said on its website.

“Another very hot day is in store for Arizona with high temps at or above record levels,” the weather service office in Tucson said in a tweet. “Drink plenty of water and limit your time outside.”

While officials expected the heat to peak on Tuesday, it was not expected to hang around for long.

“At least through Wednesday, heat’s going to be the big thing,” Bianca Hernandez with the National Weather Service told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

“As we go into the end of the week, we actually start to see an increase in monsoonal moisture.”

Maricopa County public health officials say 155 people died in the Phoenix area last year from heat-caused illnesses such as heat stroke.

Spokeswoman Jeanene Fowler said Tuesday there have been five confirmed heat-associated deaths in Maricopa County this year, with the cause of another 34 deaths still under investigation.

“The numbers are definitely under what they were at the same time last year, so that’s a positive sign,” Fowler said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ashley Flood and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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