Heat envelops our lives in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. How does it define us?
The Maricopa County Department of Public Health and Safety has confirmed 14 heat-related deaths since May , with 234 more deaths under investigation as the intense summer heat persists.
As of this time in 2023, the county had recorded 12 heat-related deaths, with about 100 under investigation.
Phoenix is seeing hotter temperatures than in 2023 as well. Last month broke the record for the hottest June in Phoenix, with an average temperature of 97 degrees.
This week, Arizona Republic reporters and photographers are spreading out across the hottest major metro area in the United States to explore how the desert dwellers suffer from the heat, adapt and survive.
Follow along with live coverage from Republic reporters in one of the hottest weeks of the year in the Phoenix area.
Monday's report: 'It gets overwhelming sometimes'
As the Valley of the Sun heated about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, the air measured 98 degrees, black leather car seats sat at 106 and the pavement hit 117.
One class of workers commuted in air-conditioned cars to air-conditioned offices, while another began laboring outdoors.
This time of year is sometimes locally termed “reverse winter,” a time many don’t wish to venture out. But some are compelled to bear the heat to keep everyone else comfortable.
Cars packed onto central Phoenix's surface streets, piling up at red lights down Indian School Road.
A man on a bicycle cruised down the sidewalk as a pair of Waymos autonomously whizzed past. At a sunny bus stop, another man bowed his head into his right hand. On a nearby corner, a man waved a promotional sign for oil changes. Construction workers at a gas station strutted the parking lot in fluorescent vests.
Commuters battling congestion on the I-17 were greeted by an electronic sign warning of high pollution, recommending a carpool or bus. Traffic thinned on the 101 as the rising sun kissed suburban tile roofs and workers stuffed the spindly green sticks of a trimmed palo verde into the back of a trailer.
On a quiet Sun City residential road, where a solitary quail chased its own forehead plumage, the crew of AirZona HVAC got to work installing a new air conditioner at a retiree’s winter home.
Owner Gerald Sandoz said he’s been doing this kind of work for decades, 23 years around Phoenix.
“My life revolves around the summer,” he said.
— Andrew Ford
Temperatures through midweek are forecast to be slightly above normal, with daily highs across most of the Phoenix area between 108-112 degrees.
Daily thunderstorm activity is expected to continue for the next several days.
— Republic staff
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Record heat in Phoenix area: AC repair crew member: 'My life revolves around the summer'
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