PHOENIX — The calendar says fall, but Arizona’s desert cities are not done with triple-digit heat.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport recorded 99 degrees just before 4 p.m. Sunday, with humidity at 17% and east-southeast winds near 17 mph, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service’s forecast keeps Valley highs in the upper 90s all week, with 98 on Monday, 99 on Tuesday and a high near 100 on Wednesday before a slow cooldown. Overnight lows are expected to stay near 80 degrees, offering little relief.
Relief is in sight: the forecast drops highs to 94 by Saturday and around 89 next Sunday, when the weather service gives the Valley a 20% chance of showers. ABC15 meteorologists noted that Phoenix typically sees its last 100-degree day in early October, but in some years the heat has lingered until just before Halloween.
Yuma faces the worst of it
Southwest Arizona will be hotter. Yuma reached about 102 degrees Sunday and an Extreme Heat Watch is in effect for Yuma and Imperial counties from Wednesday morning through Thursday evening, KYMA reported. Afternoon highs could reach 104 to 107 degrees, bringing a major heat risk and a higher chance of heat-related illness, especially for people working or exercising outdoors.
Wind was the other story Sunday. A Wind Advisory covered southeast Arizona through the early afternoon with gusts up to 40 to 55 mph possible, while the Valley saw gusts of 30 to 35 mph, ABC15 reported.
Hiker rescued on Tucson’s west side
The warm weekend kept rescuers busy. Tucson Fire Department crews responded around 10:35 a.m. Sunday to the 36th Street Trail on the city’s west side for a hiker in distress, KVOA reported. Engine 15 and members of the Technical Rescue Team from Station 4 split into two search groups, and mountain bikers riding nearby helped them find the hiker. Crews gave the hiker water and electrolytes and helped them back to their vehicle; the hiker declined a trip to the hospital.
Fire officials used the call as a reminder that Sonoran Desert temperatures can still reach the high 90s in autumn. They recommend that hikers carry plenty of water, bring a cell phone, and make sure someone knows where they are going and when they plan to be back. Starting early in the morning and turning around at the first sign of dizziness, nausea or headache can also help prevent heat illness.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Arizona, Sonoran Desert National Monument, via Flickr (public domain).