Phoenix is so hot that it has shattered 50-year-old and 34-year-old records

The temperature in Phoenix broke previous records on Tuesday as it stood at110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 C) or morefor the 19th consecutiveday. The previous record was of 18 days, set back in 1974, almost 50 years ago.

As per the NationalWeather Service officials, on Tuesday (July 18), temperatures in Phoenix had reached 118 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the hottest day of 2023 so far. This broke the previous record set in 1989 when the temperature in the city reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

No other major city in the United States has ever witnessed temperatures of 43 Celsius and abovefor as many consecutive days as Phoenix, weather historian Christopher Burt of the Weather Company said as per FOX 10 Phoenix.

As per National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate data scientists Russ Vose and Ken Kunkel, no large cities in the past have had any streak of 110-degree days. However, smaller places such as Death Valley and Needles, California; and Casa Grande, Arizona, have had longer streaks.

Vose said that Death Valley has had an 84-day streak of 110-degree temperatures and a 47-day streak of nighttime temperatures that haven't plunged below 90, as per local media reports.

According to National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno, with the temperature dropping down to the low of 94 on Tuesday, the city had had nine consecutive days of temperatures that at night did not go below 90, setting another record.

On Monday, the city broke another record, with the hottest overnight low temperature at 95 (35 degreeCelsius).

"Long-term exposure to heat is more difficult to withstand than single hot days, especially if it is not cooling off at night enough to sleep well," FOX 10 Phoenix quoted Katharine Jacobs, director of the Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions at the University of Arizona as saying.

"This will likely be one of the most notable periods in our health record in terms of deaths and illness," said David Hondula, chief heat officer for the City of Phoenix. "Our goal is for that not to be the case."

"The long-term is the continuation of increasing temperatures in recent decades due to human influence on climate, while the short-term cause is the persistence over the last few weeks of a very strong upper-level ridge of high pressure over the western United States," he said.

Extreme heat sparks wildfires, health warnings across the globe

On Wednesday, extreme heat was forecast across the globe as wildfires raged and health warnings were issued in parts of Asia, Europe and North America.

In Parts of Greece and the Canary Islands, firefighters battled blazes. On the other hand, Spain issued heat alerts and some children in Italy's Sardinia were told to stay away from sports.

Beijing broke a 23-year-old record with 27 consecutive days of temperatures above 35 degreeCelsius (95 Fahrenheit), forecasters said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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