I’ve been sweating out this August in the Verde Valley, an area in the middle of the state that is usually about ten degrees cooler than Phoenix. I live on my sister’s property in a trailer without air conditioning. I’ve been spending most of the day in her house and going to bed about midnight after it has cooled off about ten degrees. I’ve lived in AZ over 45 years so I’m a seasoned desert rat, but this August has gotten to me, and there is no relief in sight.
AZ just set a record for the most days above a 110 degrees and the hottest August on record. That is saying a lot when you live in AZ. Here are records we set this month:
- The highest average high temperature: 109.
- The highest average low temperature: 87.5.
- The hottest August day ever: 117.
The average temperature for the month - the high plus the low divided by two - was 98.3 degrees.
That leaves August tied for the hottest month ever. The real surprise here is that it's August. Every other month in the top-5 list is a July.
http://www.azcentral.com/...
And so there were 13 days when the temperature hit 110 or higher. That was an August record, too.
The low temperature for the entire month was reached at 5:08 in the morning on Aug. 4, when it dropped to 81 degrees. Never before has the lowest single temperature in any month been so high
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The high overnight temps are blamed on what they call the Heat Island Effect from paving over the landscape.
Phoenix, while known for its daytime high temperatures, is now experiencing rising nighttime temperatures and has seen a 7-degree Celsius increase over the last 50 years. The city’s explosive growth rate is thought to be the cause behind this rapid rise in temperature and the catalyst for the heat island effect, which has been brought about by the construction of buildings, roads, parking lots and other structures that retain and radiate heat long after the sun has set.
Findings indicate that Phoenix’s most vulnerable populations – the homeless and those with limited resources – are suffering the most from climbing urban heat. The lack of vegetation in low-income areas, as well as skyrocketing electricity costs and limited or no access to air conditioning, make summers brutal for many of Phoenix’s economically disadvantaged.
http://asunews.asu.edu/...
Now it is officially September 1 (my granddaughter Claire’s birthday. Happy Birthday sweetheart). So can we expect some relief? Not according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service is forecasting highs of 111 degrees, or above, for the next 10 days
Looks like we will be setting record high temps for September, too. Anyone want to make some bets? Global warming in the desert sucks. Maybe, we are the canary in the climate debate.
Happy Labor Day everyone. Stay cool.