Excessive heat warning issued for metro Phoenix as temperatures rise
Jul 19, 2024, 8:19 AM
A boy is seen playing in a splash pad at Riverview Park in Mesa on June 5, 2024. An excessive heat warning was issued for metro Phoenix for July 19-20, 2024. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
PHOENIX – With temperatures on the rise, authorities have issued an excessive heat warning for metro Phoenix.
The warning was set to run from 10 a.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Saturday.
The Valley forecast calls for high temperatures around 115 degrees each day of the warning. The average for this time of year is around 107 degrees, and Phoenix hasn’t been hotter than 111 since last weekend.
The spike is due to a high-pressure system moving over from the Four Corners region, according to Katherine Berislavich of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Phoenix.
Berislavich said she doesn’t expect the excessive heat warning to be extended beyond Saturday.
RELATED STORIES
“It doesn’t look likely right now because the high pressure should continue to move westward, so it will move off from being right directly overhead of us,” she said. “Plus, we’ll get an increase in moisture by the end of the weekend, which will also decrease temperatures a little bit.”
The probability of rain in the Valley ranges from 20% to 50% daily at least through early next week, according to the NWS forecast, with the highest chance on Sunday.
“Early next week, we will cool off a little bit,” Berislavich said. “So by like Monday, the high is 109.”
What is an excessive heat warning?
NWS meteorologists issue excessive heat warnings to alert the public about extremely dangerous heat conditions.
People who have to spend time outdoors during periods of excessive heat should stay hydrated, apply sunscreen to exposed skin, wear loose-fit clothing and take frequent breaks in the shade, according to experts.
Per city of Phoenix policy, the Echo Canyon and Cholla trails at Camelback Mountain and all Piestewa Peak trails are closed from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. on days when excessive heat warnings are in effect.
Heat a factor in 23 deaths in metro Phoenix so far this year
Arizona’s extreme summer heat can be deadly.
Through last week, Maricopa County health officials confirmed 23 heat-related deaths this year, with 322 cases under investigation.
At the same point in 2023, county officials had confirmed 18 heat-related deaths, with 168 cases under investigation. The year ended with a record 645 deaths in the Valley where heat was determined to be a cause or a contributing factor.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.
Comments