LAS VEGAS — Some parts of Arizona, Nevada, and Texas have just had their hottest June on record, with scorching temperatures breaking several long-established records.
This record-breaking heat foreshadows another extremely hot summer for the U.S. and globally, raising concerns for the upcoming weeks and months as July and August are typically the hottest months of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
In Phoenix, the average temperature was 97 degrees Fahrenheit, marking it as the hottest June in the city’s over 100-year history. As reported by the National Weather Service.
Last month, the temperature was nearly two degrees higher than the previous record set in June 2021. Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport noted 14 days with temperatures surpassing 110 degrees in June, according to the weather service.
The scorching heat has already claimed 13 lives due to heatstroke in Maricopa County so far this year, which encompasses Phoenix and many surrounding areas, with 162 more deaths under investigation. According to the county public health department.
Last year, a record 645 people died from heatstroke in Maricopa County amidst unusually hot weather for the region. Phoenix reported temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for 31 consecutive days last summer, surpassing the previous record of 18 days set in 1974.
July has already begun with challenges, as 110 million people across 21 states are under heat warnings or advisories heading into the Independence Day holiday.
The heatwaves were felt across the Southwest last month.
In neighboring Las Vegas, Nevada, the city recorded its highest-ever temperature in June.
“June 2024 was historically the hottest in Las Vegas,” stated the National Weather Service’s field office. According to a post on X from last Sunday. The previous record was set 8 years ago in 2016.
Triple-digit temperatures were recorded nearly every day last month, with an average temperature of 94.6 degrees in June, seven degrees above usual and 1.8 degrees higher than the previous record, as per the National Weather Service.
The heat persisted, with an average high temperature of 106.2 degrees Fahrenheit and an average low of 83 degrees Fahrenheit, providing little relief during the night.
Climate change is anticipated to bring more frequent heatwaves. Studies indicate that as the planet warms, heatwaves will become more common, prolonged, and intense.
The National Weather Service noted that it’s not just the new milestone that stands out. “What’s even more striking is how much it surpassed the previous record,” the statement said, highlighting the 1.2-degree difference between the average June high temperature and the previous record.
West Texas also saw scorching temperatures in June, with El Paso experiencing its hottest June on record, breaking a record from 30 years ago. According to the National Weather Service.
The average temperature in El Paso reached 89.4 degrees, surpassing the previous record set in 1994 by 0.4 degrees.
Extreme heat warnings and advisories are in place for various states along the West Coast and parts of the South, including Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
