Arizona may break its own record today for breaking triple digits in the forecast. Today, parts of the state, Phoenix included, are forecasted with a high of 100 degrees. If the state does break into triple digits, this would be the earliest day of the year to date since 1988. The record set in 1988 has March 26 as the earliest date to reach the high temperature. This moves the record one day earlier. The record heat is concerning many state officials, especially with regard to children, senior citizens, and outdoor workers.
Overall, the week is supposed to be a hot one following the record high temperature.
While the entire week has high temperatures predicted, the temperature is expected to go down after today, with the peak being 100 degrees. Meteorologists are predicting that we will see temperatures in the mid-90s for the next couple of days before going back down to the 80s for the weekend. Based on these trends, experts expect that this spring will be a particularly hot one.
Experts worry as well about fire conditions.
This week, while seeing record heat, is also expected to have on and off wind starting on Thursday going to Saturday. With these winds, if they end up being strong wind gusts, fire concerns will be high amidst the heat. Arizonia residents should be on alert of fire and do their best to prevent spread. If there is a breeze, be aware and limit any outdoor activities that include flames, such as barbequing, since sparks can spread quickly from this.
With the heat, officials warn residents to stay safe.
While living in Arizona does likely mean you are used to heat, you likely are not used to heat like this at this time of year. In order to remain safe with the high pressure heat, be sure to:
- Limit outdoor activity as much as you can and stay in cool conditions indoors.
- Drink plenty of water as sweating could dehydrate you.
- Do not leave children or pets in a vehicle. They could easily suffer from heat stroke.
- Avoid risky behavior with flames when windy.
- Dress accordingly in order to avoid overheating.
- Stay alert and keep up-to-date with weather alerts.
The heat this early in the year suggests another record high temperature year. Last year, Phoenix had 70 days that had temperatures of 110 degrees or higher. This breaks down to around 20% of the year. The fact that the state is already breaking records for high temperatures worries many that this will be a trend for the rest of the year.
