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... Why it matters: The latest stretch prolonged heat-related health threats and pointed to the growing challenge of how to be resilient in the face of scorching temperatures.
- - - This event wasn't limited to Phoenix, with much of the Southwest seeing record heat between mid-September and early to mid-October. But the Arizona capital saw some of the most jaw-dropping milestones.
By the numbers: The unprecedented fall heat wave catapulted the city to the top of the rankings for the number of days in a single year with high temperatures that reached or exceeded 110F.
- - - On average, the city sees 21 such days per year, but in 2024 that figure stood at 70 days as of Oct. 16. This beat the 55 days set last year, during what was then the sprawling city's hottest summer.
- - - Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport set or tied a daily record high for 21 straight days, from Sept. 24th through Oct. 14th, according to Victor Murphy, who serves as the southern region climate service program manager with the National Weather Service.
- - - Prior to this year, Phoenix had never reached 110F during the month of October, but this occurred four times during the month this year. The average last occurrence of such heat is on August 12, whereas the previous latest occurrence was on Sept. 19.
- - - "They hit 110F on October 7th. This is almost 2 months later than the avg. last occurrence, and nearly 3 week[s] later than the previous last occurrence," Murphy told Axios via email.
According to Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, 389 heat-related deaths have been confirmed so far in 2024, with 292 deaths under investigation. ...