Excessive heat warnings extended for 5 Arizona counties

The National Weather Service has extended the Excessive Heat Warning for Maricopa County until October 7th.

The Arizona Department of Health Services also announced that the warning has been extended for La Paz, Pinal, and Yuma Counties through next Monday, as well as for Mohave County through Sunday, October 6th.

The warning was initially issued Tuesday morning and was set to expire Friday evening. However, the Arizona Department of Health Services is now predicting temperatures could reach 111 degrees, posing the risk of "life-threatening illnesses or even death."

Officials are urging the public to stay hydrated, never leave children or pets alone in parked cars, limit outdoor activities to the mornings and evenings, use sun protection and stay updated on forecasts .

For additional resources from the Arizona Department of Health Services, including information on recognizing and preventing heat-related illnesses, visit their Extreme Weather & Public Health page .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Excessive heat warnings extended for 5 Arizona counties