Phoenix bakes in record heat
Aug 16, 2015, 11:48 AM | Updated: 7:08 pm
Area pools were certainly the place to be this past weekend while air conditioning units were working overtime as the Valley continued to bake in record heat.
Friday’s high of 117 shattered the previous record for Aug. 14 by four degrees and tied the all-time mark for the month of August. It was the hottest day in the Valley since the mercury reached 119 in 2013.
Saturday didn’t fare much better as Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport set a new record of 115, breaking the old one of 112 set in 1992.
The record heat has also put a strain on the electrical grid. According to APS, power usage was high with 7,060 megawatts being used which was close to setting a record. However, SRP did set a record Saturday with 6,806 megawatts being used which is an all-time record according to the utility.
In Glendale, 11 people had to be transported from University of Phoenix Stadium where the Arizona Cardinals were hosting the Kansas City Chiefs with heat related illnesses. None of the cases were life-threatening, according to the Glendale Fire Department.
In other parts, fire crews rescued stranded hikers suffering from heat exhaustion while the Maricopa County Sheriff’s responded to a report of five migrants in need of rescue near Gila Bend.
The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for much of southwestern and central Arizona for the entire weekend as temperatures are expected to be in excess of 110.
Officials are warning individuals to stay hydrated and recognize the signs and symptoms of heat illness which can include a headache, thirst, muscle cramps and fainting.
The area is expected to cool down, sort of with Tuesday and Wednesday’s high of 108 with Saturday’s high of 105.
