Phoenix's extreme heat: Summer may break overnight low record

Heat envelops our lives in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. How does it define us?

We are experts at understanding urban heat, from scientific and personal standpoints. A stampede of national and international news outlets have looked to former Arizona State University heat researcher David Hondula for comment on how cities can manage the risks of unexpected heat waves since he took the helm at Phoenix's Office of Heat Response and Mitigation.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego was also tapped during last summer's record-breaking heat to weigh in on how cities less familiar with high temperatures can attempt to prepare. Despite being frustrated at many of the resulting news stories labeling Phoenix an "inferno," a "hell on earth" or "a blighted dystopian hellscape," she remains positive that America's hottest big city can still become the world's most sustainable desert city.

This week, Arizona Republic reporters and photographers are spreading out across the hottest major metro area in the United States to explore how 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's hotter than it's ever been'

Tuesday's report: 'My life revolves around the summer'

4:30 p.m., Tempe: 110 degrees

While the temperature hit 110 outside, inside the Community Christian Church in Tempe, about 16 people were lying down. The church is one of 10 designated heat resp ite centers in the city.

Some people tried to sleep through the hottest part of the day in the large cooled room, which was around 78 degrees but humid at 4:30 p.m.

The center would remain open for another two and a half hours; after that, everyone would have to find somewhere else to escape the heat.

— Miguel Torres

4 p.m., southwest Phoenix: 113 degrees

On Wednesday afternoon, residents at Casa Pedro Ruíz, a senior living community owned by the Cesar Chavez Foundation, were enjoying a chef-cooked meal in the center's common area.

Among those enjoying their meals was Felicitas Guerra, 82. Guerra said the meals, which are provided once a week, are especially helpful to her because she finds herself needing to go to the grocery store less often — a task that, as an asthma patient, she prefers to avoid in Phoenix's scorching summer temperatures.

"They help us a lot … (the food) is really delicious, I like it," Guerra said in Spanish.

The meals are provided to Casa Pedro Ruíz residents with the help of volunteers from the foundation and members of the Sí Se Puede Neighborhood Association, a community-led organization dedicated to addressing the needs of residents in Estrella Village.

Guerra does not own a car, so she relies on her neighbors and family members for rides to the store and sometimes to doctor's appointments, although her medical insurance mostly covers the latter.

When no one is available to take her, she uses public transportation. Guerra said she has experienced heat illness symptoms while walking in the heat to get to her destination from the bus stop. She said city buses and circulators usually drop her off two to three blocks away from where she needs to be.

Guerra said she has experienced agitation and shortness of breath in the heat. About two weeks ago, she had an episode in which she experienced nausea and dizziness while walking outside at about 11 a.m.

"It felt like I was going to vomit … and since I have asthma, I got really agitated," she said. "Now I go out either very early or very late, but even late, it's still hot sometimes."

Since then, she has avoided being outside between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Guerra also has neuropathy in her legs and uses a walker to get around.

"Even if it's a short distance, it's very hard for me to walk; I get tired," she said.

Guerra prefers to use Phoenix's Dial-a-Ride, a door-to-door, shared-ride service for people with disabilities. However, the service costs $8 for a round trip, which she said can be expensive at times. Moreover, she has yet to renew her yearly application for the service, so Guerra has relied on other forms of transportation so far this summer.

In the absence of the Dial-a-Ride service or a car, Guerra uses the city buses or the Phoenix MARY, a free neighborhood circulator that travels around Maryvale and was recently extended to Estrella Village, where Casa Pedro Ruíz is located. However, she said the service has not been efficient for residents in the apartment community.

"The bus leaves us far from the store, and the sun is very strong," Guerra said. "The drivers don't lower the ramp for us to get on with our walker."

— Laura Daniella Sepúlveda

3:30 p.m., downtown Phoenix: 112 degrees

At 3:30 p.m. in downtown Phoenix Wednesday, the sidewalk in full sun measured 156.5 degrees. Less than 10 yards away, the sidewalk in full shade measured 112.1 degrees.

— Corina Vanek

3:20 p.m., Phoenix: 110 degrees

The respite center at Burton Barr Central Library was filled with fans humming as guests filed in during Wednesday's peak heat.

Inside, plastic water bottles dotted nearby tables as some people rested their heads to take naps. This center is one of two overnight facilities run by the city for people without a cool place to be.

Emma Thomas, 24, and Alexis Ledesma, 25, are four months out from graduating with a bachelor of science in nursing from Arizona State University. On Wednesday, the two were at the center, providing care to incoming guests as part of their community outreach clinicals.

Thomas said this training reminded her about why she wanted to be a nurse.

“For times like this, where we can really have an impact,” Thomas said.

Michael Holden, 36, moved to Phoenix from Michigan last month and said the heat has hit him hard. He’s currently living on the street and said he tries to find splash pads and shade trees to cool himself down if he's not at a cooling center.

“They definitely need more places like this,” Holden said about the center.

City officials expanded their public heat relief options this summer with extended hours. In total, there are more than 95 cooling centers in Phoenix offered through both public and private providers. So far this summer, the overnight and extended-hour shelters have had around 14,000 visits, according to city spokesperson Keyera Williams.

— Helen Rummel

1:30 p.m., Phoenix: 105 degrees

A black-and-white husky received veterinary care at the Arizona Humane Society's newly opened Papago Park campus midday on Wednesday. Inside, the temperature was a cool 76 degrees.

Police found the husky lying in the middle of the street, apparently having been run over. The dog arrived two days ago without any identification chip or collar.

Pets are vulnerable to high temperatures, so being outside in the heat can become perilous.

"Pets with long fur heat up quickly," said Joe Casados, a spokesperson for the Arizona Humane Society. "However, short-haired pets are equally at risk of heat exhaustion and are more susceptible to sunburn."

The most common signs of heatstroke in pets are excessive panting or drooling, inflamed gums, glassy eyes, collapse, vomiting and seizures.

"People need to remember that pets aren't more tolerant of heat than we are," Casados said.

People who encounter an injured or heat-stricken pet and who are unable to assist can contact the Arizona Humane Society at 602-997-7585, ext. 2073. The number is staffed daily from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

— Trilce Estrada Olvera

1:30 p.m., Peoria: Fire truck handle reaches 116 degrees

In Peoria Fire-Medical Department Station 194, firefighters sat around a table on Wednesday in the cool air conditioning, taking the time in between calls to chat, eat Mexican food and hydrate.

The time indoors served as a respite for the firefighters at Peoria's busiest fire station, but they knew they'd have to go back out soon enough to the next fire or medical emergency.

The scorching temperatures make a job defined by heat even harder. When they're on the job, the heat presents both logistical and physical challenges. Phones and iPads, often used for recording information, can be drained of battery quickly. Brain fog and irregular heartbeats can happen. Sweat drips down their faces into their eyes, and the air they breathe in through their masks can reach more than 110 degrees. Wednesday morning, the air conditioner in one of the trucks stopped working, forcing them to swap to a different vehicle.

A typical house fire can range from 500 degrees to 1,000 degrees, said Capt. Chris Blundon. Add an Arizona summer, about 70 pounds of gear and a hot truck, and overheating prevention becomes critical.

"There's no catch-up," fire engineer Mauricio Flores said.

The equipment has gotten lighter in the 26 years Blundon has been working, but there's still not much relief when out on the job. The fire-resistant gear they wear is something of a double-edged sword — it has to be thick and durable enough to prevent burns and withstand flames, but it also means they carry extra weight that can put them at increased risk for heat sickness.

On Wednesday, a pair of rubber and leather boots measured 118 degrees after being left out in the sun for just 10 minutes. Outerwear —"turnout gear" — reached 115. A truck, fresh off a call, pulled into the station at a whopping 129 degrees around 1:30 p.m., its door handle coming in at 116.

That's why it's crucial to prepare ahead of time. Wednesday morning, before the sun reached full force, the squad spent half an hour doing acclimation training, a series of exercises meant to build stamina, done in full gear.

Utility trucks stock medical supplies, electrolyte drinks, water and snacks, and teams rotate off every 30 minutes on longer calls. They keep IV bags in a cooler in a truck, so when a patient needs fluids, they can receive it at 58 degrees rather than 120.

— Christina Avery

1 p.m., Chandler: 107 degrees

Curtis Bridgewater goes to the Salvation Army in Chandler to seek shelter from the heat during the day. He said he goes there six to seven days a week and would stay overnight if he could.

At 1 p.m. Wednesday, it was 107 degrees outside. Cement was 140. Inside, it was 70.

“They help us out during the hottest part of the day," Bridgewater said. "When the business closes, it’s time for me to figure things out.”

Bridgewater, who is experiencing homelessness, said there is no way to stay safe out in the heat.

“ It can be brutal out here. People are known to hibernate in the wintertime; we hibernate in the summertime,” Bridgewater said.

The Salvation Army provides him with cold water, food and a cot to sleep on.

“The sun, it gives life, but it will also take it as well," he said.

Bridgewater said he was grateful for what the Salvation Army does to help people and encourages others to donate to the organization.

— Kerria Weaver

Noon, downtown Phoenix: Jefferson Street was 162 degrees

Austin Woodward has worked in the heat for the last three years as a team lead on the Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors program, so he knows what to expect from an Arizona summer.

“When you’re downtown, they say all of the buildings reflect the sunlight, so it gets way hotter downtown than anywhere else,” Woodward said, intentionally standing in some shade on a corner of Washington Street in Phoenix. The Arizona Republic used a heat gun to measure the temperature of Jefferson Street in downtown Phoenix, which was 162 degrees at around noon on Wednesday.

Woodward wears a straw hat, sunglasses, plenty of sunscreen, a cooling towel and a bright-orange uniform for his eight-hour shift. Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors help people with various services, like walking them to their cars, jumping a car battery, or helping them stay hydrated.

“So 7 a.m. … we get going, and we are deployed out in the field. Every day is a little different depending on what the ask is or what the need is downtown,” he said. “If there’s a big convention in town, we’ll spend time at the convention center, which is an excellent place to cool down.”

He said the ambassadors also do wellness checks on people experiencing homelessness who are in downtown Phoenix.

“That’s a big thing in the morning, just checking to make sure everybody is OK, nothing happened at night,” he said.

Woodward strategically cuts through air-conditioned buildings seeking a break from the heat and sometimes can refill his water bottle in restaurants and businesses that let ambassadors come in to take a break from the sun. He said when it’s cooler outside, he walks around 30,000 steps during his shift. Ambassadors can also ride bikes during their shifts, Woodward said.

“I always try to tell people, ‘Hey, it would be a good idea to take some water with you,’ or let them know where they can fill up their waters,” he said.

— Sabine Martin

This summer may break record for number of overnights above 90 degrees

The low temperature at Sky Harbor International Airport on Wednesday morning was 94 degrees, according to the National Weather Service’s Phoenix office. That was 9 degrees above the normal low of 85 degrees.

If the low temperature holds through midnight, it will tie the record warm low for July 24, which was set in 2023.

There have already been 24 nights this summer when the low temperature has not gone below 90 degrees. That is nine more than this date in 2023, which set a record at 35. So, we are on pace to easily break last year’s record for 90-degree or above nights.

The 24 nights this summer is already the third-highest number of 90-degree or above nights ever. In 2020, there were 28, according to data from the weather service.

— Daniel Gonzalez

Heat deaths skyrocket in Maricopa County in 2023

The sun was beating down on the sidewalk outside the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday. Even in the shade, the cement — at 131 degrees — radiated warmth.

Chief Medical Examiner Jeff Johnston leads a team of more than 200 people in conducting autopsies and death investigations, serving the entire county’s population. Johnston said summers are one of the busiest times of the year for the team.

“We’ve really started thinking about our summers as kind of marathons, not sprints,” he said.

The summer is an especially grueling time of year for Johnston’s staff and volunteers, he said. To help support each other, the team puts together ice cream socials and sometimes brings in therapy dogs and peer support.

On average, the force takes two to three months to conclude an investigation. Johnston said this timeline ensures the office’s findings are accurate and can be used to identify any trends.

Last year, his team needed additional cold storage to accommodate the high number of bodies coming in — sometimes reaching the hundreds in one week. While this summer has not yet reached that point, additional space was added preemptively.

— Helen Rummel

Monday was the hottest day on Earth in 120,000 years

Arizona isn’t the only part of the world feeling the heat — Monday was the hottest day on Earth ever, according to a European climate change service.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service announced the global average temperature reached 62.87 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday , surpassing the most recent record set just the day prior.

Scientists believe this is the hottest Earth has been in the last 120,000 years, according to modern temperature records, tree rings and ice sheet observations.

Summer heat waves are scorching the northern hemisphere, and the southern hemisphere is cooling at a slower pace during its winter, causing the records this week. Scientists expect the peak to pass this week, and temperatures will decline overall in the coming weeks.

The previous global highs were in July 2023 and August 2016, showing that climate change is causing more frequent record temperatures.

“Almost all locations are seeing that very strong warming trend,” said Michael Crimmins, a climatologist at the University of Arizona. “The Southwest in particular is seeing that warming trend in the U.S., we seem to be warming faster in the summer than much of the rest of the country.”

— Hayleigh Evans

11:20 a.m., Encanto Golf Course: 97 degrees

Around 11:20 a.m., Robert Pamiroyan was walking back to his car with his golf bag after finishing up a session at the Encanto 18 driving range in central Phoenix. He was practicing for a tournament this weekend.

Light cloud cover reduced the impact of the sun’s rays and the heat wasn’t bad, Pamiroyan said, as long as you drink a lot of water and avoid sitting out in the heat too long. He also wore a wide-brim hat to keep the sun out of his eyes.

The air temperature was about 97 degrees. The concrete in the parking lot was approaching 150 degrees.

The parking lot at Encanto 18 was fairly full, but there were not many people out on the course, Pamiroyan said. He said he’d be good to play more if he didn’t have to head to work. He plans on coming back out to the course tomorrow.

“Best time to play golf,” Pamiroyan said. “There’s nobody out there.”

— Jack Armstrong

11:20 a.m., Mesa Gateway Airport: 103 degrees

As the sun rose higher in the Arizona sky, workers at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport prepared planes for takeoff.

“We are essentially the gas station for the airport,” said Matt Nebgen, a director at the airport.

At around 11:20 a.m., the outside temperature was 103 degrees, and the tarmac on the airport measured a staggering 140 degrees.

One of the people working on the tarmac, Jason Walker, said he has worked at the airport for the past five and a half years. The airport provides enough water and takes other precautions so workers stay safe, he said, but extra hands would be welcome.

“We could always use more help, honestly, especially this time of year it gets pretty thin," Walker said. "There are times where you are out there most of your shifts without a break.”

— Fernando Cervantes

Single event in Tempe collects 15,000 water bottles

People donated nearly 15,000 bottles of water on Saturday during a community breakfast hosted by Tempe Councilmember Berdetta Hodge. It was a Tempe record for the most water donated in a single event, according to the city.

The donations will go toward Tempe's cooling centers and homeless outreach team. There are 10 cooling centers in Tempe that offer resources to people in need.

Water donors included corporate partners, churches and individuals.

“I urge Tempeans to please consider the needs of those who are adversely affected by extreme heat,” Hodge said. “Please know that you can save lives by giving back at events such as the one we recently held.”

Tempe has encouraged people to visit tempe.gov/HeatRelief for cooling center locations, heat safety tips, utility assistance, A/C repair program details and more. The city's CARE & HOPE Line is also available 24/7 at 480-350-8004 to tell the city about someone in crisis.

— Marcus Reichley

11 a.m., University Park in Phoenix: 103 degrees

As some sparse clouds came in and out over Phoenix during the late morning, around 11 a.m., one man slept on a bench near downtown's University Park, the air around him already 103 degrees. Another person was moving a tent into the shade of a bus stop.

University Park is near the intersection of 12th Avenue and Van Buren Street, just a few blocks north of where "The Zone" homeless encampment stood. Last year at this time, Phoenix was in the process of clearing the encampment of people and tents block by block to comply with a court order.

— Miguel Torres

10 a.m., Sabino Canyon in Tucson: 97 degrees

At around 10 a.m., retired Tucsonan Ed Carrasco had just finished a 2.5-hour hike in Sabino Canyon, a popular hiking area in Tucson at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Carrasco, 59, was one of the few people at the entrance to the hiking area Wednesday morning. He said he hikes almost daily to stay healthy and enjoy the breathtaking scenery.

How does he stay cool while hiking up Sabino Canyon’s often steep trails?

He said he takes enough water and hikes early to avoid the hottest hours of the day. He also pays attention to his heart rate.

“I actually wear a watch so I can monitor my heart rate and make sure I'm not overheating or overdoing it,” he said.

The sun was strong despite showers falling on Tucson’s east side earlier in the day. The heat measured 97 degrees, and the recreation area's parking lot was less than half full.

Carrasco noted that in Tucson and Sabino Canyon, people of all ages work out and hike in the heat.

“I was just talking to a gentleman who runs here every day, and he's getting close to 70,” Carrasco said.

— Sarah Lapidus

9 a.m., Peoria: 98 degrees

At Centennial High School, members of the Coyotes football team were outside conducting running drills. One drill, referred to as the "conditioning test," required players to sprint 300 yards — 25 yards down and back six times. The temperature outside, just shy of 100 degrees, was rapidly increasing.

“We start early to beat the heat,” said assistant coach Andrew Taylor, who had been out with players since 7 a.m. Fewer senior players, who have had less time to acclimate to the extreme physical demands of practicing in the heat , start earlier.

Aaron Alvarez, 17, a senior who has played on the team all four years, said he’s used to seeing steam rise off his teammate’s heads and bodies for 30 to 40 minutes after practice ends.

“If you don’t push through the heat, you’ll never get used to it,” said Alvarez, a middle linebacker who was born and raised in Arizona. “The Arizona heat is definitely not your friend.” The key, he said, is to keep showing up every day, no matter the temperature. “Once you're in it, it’s easier to stay in it,” he said. “Your body gets used to it. It’s when you break, that things get harder again.”

Paden Woody, also a senior, moved to Arizona from Alaska in 2019. While he was used to dealing with the extreme cold, the heat caught him off guard. During his sophomore year, he said, he went through a bout of intense nosebleeds during practice because of the dryness and heat. Now, he’s careful to drink at least a gallon of water a day.

“My main priority is taking care of my body and downing water as much as I can,” he said.

In June and July, when temperatures are most extreme, players are allowed to practice in just shorts and T-shirts, said assistant coach Taylor. But come August, they will don multiple pounds of gear, including body pads and helmets.

“If you think it can’t get hotter, it can,” Alvarez said.

— Hannah Dreyfus

9 a.m., Goodyear: Temperature in the mid-90s

“There’s always somebody worse off than you,” Mark Anthony Scott said as he found a path to salvation.

Just before 9 a.m. Wednesday, as the rising sun drove the temperature to the mid-90s, Scott hopped into the passenger seat of Regina Robles’ Chevy Equinox at a Circle K in Goodyear. She’s a street outreach case manager with Phoenix Rescue Mission.

Scott spent the night at a friend’s place. He’s been without a secure home for two and a half years. He bounced around, spending a year in a two-seat Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder in a Chick-fil-A parking lot.

It was a “hot, hot hotel,” Scott said.

About 10 months ago, Robles found him — in his car stuffed with belongings — in a Lowe’s parking lot.

She smoothed his application for Social Security disability. He has a bad hip.

On Wednesday she picked up Scott, his backpack and his electric scooter to take him for a final round of paperwork for a housing assistance voucher to get an apartment. In the cool of her car, she broke the most exciting news: They could cover him for one week at a Best Western he has frequented in the past. He couldn’t wait for the bacon and eggs.

Even better, he can likely stay there until Robles can help him get a subsidized apartment.

Scott was moved nearly to tears.

It doesn’t always go so well. Two of Robles’ clients died in her 10 months on the job.

Away from the heat of the gas station parking lot, Scott sat in a plush office chair at a dark conference table at the Norton and Ramsey Social Justice Empowerment Center in Glendale, a place folks on the street can come to shower, do laundry, and connect with services for the myriad issues that might force someone from their home.

Scott sipped a chilled bottle of water and got a physical, part of the requirement for his application for housing assistance.

On his wrist, he wore a red silicone bracelet that he found about a month ago, bearing a motto he deeply believes. It's a symbol of the faith that carried him through challenging years: “Jesus is dear to me.”

— Andrew Ford

7 a.m., SRP Agua Fria Generating Station in Glendale: 104 degrees

By 7 a.m. Wednesday morning, the temperature on the sidewalk outside SRP’s Agua Fria Generating Station in Glendale was 104 degrees, and machinery in the natural gas plant was whirring, generating power for homes and businesses around the Valley.

At full capacity, if all the generators on the site are running, Agua Fria can generate enough energy to power 145,000 average homes at any given time, said Jeff Parker, one of the operations and maintenance managers of the plant.

The machines are turned on as needed throughout the day, and SRP monitors power usage across its grid in real time to make sure it is operating as efficiently as possible while still meeting its customers’ energy needs, said Angie Bond-Simpson, senior director of resource management for SRP. On peak usage days in the summer, there are times when all the generators must be running.

Agua Fria’s campus includes some generators that first began operating in the 1960s, all the way to new aeroderivative gas turbines, modeled off aircraft engines, that were installed in summer 2022.

About 42 people work at the Agua Fria campus, which has on-site staffing 24/7, Parker said. Employees who need to work in the heat wearing protective equipment like hard hats take frequent breaks for water and cooler temperatures, and they have cooling towels and cooling inserts in their hard hats available, he said.

SRP has some of the fastest-growing customer demand in the nation as Phoenix continues its rapid population growth paired with longer stretches of high temperatures, Bond-Simpson said.

— Corina Vanek

7 a.m., Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport: 94 degrees

Wednesday's weather is forecast, not surprisingly, to be sunny and hot, with a high near 110 and heat index values as high as 114. The National Weather Service projects a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night, with patchy blowing dust after 10 p.m. and an overnight low around 90.

— Republic staff

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix's extreme heat: Summer may break overnight low record