With metro Phoenix temperatures climbing to near-record levels in the coming days, the National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning.
Phoenix hasn’t recorded a 100-degree day since March 27, but the latest seven-day forecast is filled with triple-digit highs along with overnight lows in the 70s.
“We are currently forecasting for the Phoenix metro to be 101 today, and then slowly kind of ramping up each day: Saturday 104, Sunday 106. And then … we’re looking at a peak on Monday of 108,” meteorologist Alicia Ryan of the National Weather Service in Phoenix told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday morning.
The projected high for Monday is 2 degrees shy of Phoenix’s record for May 11 of 110 degrees, a mark set in 1934.
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The normal high for this time of year is 92 or 93 degrees, Ryan said.
“So, we are above normal, but I wouldn’t say this is abnormal or anything people should be alarmed about,” Ryan said.
What to know about extreme heat warnings in Phoenix
Still, officials want the public to stay safe, issuing an extreme heat warning to run from 10 a.m. Sunday through 8 p.m. Monday.
Extreme heat warnings trigger the daytime closures of hiking trails at Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak and South Mountain in Phoenix.
Ryan suggested the following precautions when temperatures soar:
- Stay hydrated
- Wear light clothing
- Stay inside with air conditioning if possible
“If you’re out working, make sure you take plenty of breaks in the shade, as well,” she added.
The Valley’s seasonal Heat Relief Network program launched May 1. It provides free, cool spaces and other resources to the public during the hottest months of the year.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Kellen Shover contributed to this report.
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