In the context of the world experiencing July as the hottest month on record, the city of Phoenix in the southwestern United States has broken the heatwave record set in 1974, with temperatures exceeding 43°C for 31 consecutive days.
Images captured by a FLIR infrared camera at the end of July revealed that road surface temperatures in Phoenix surged to 66°C, with the body temperature of outdoor workers reaching up to 41°C. Homeless individuals faced stifling air conditions, with surrounding surfaces heating up to 62°C. In infrared imagery, the brighter spots indicate higher temperatures.
Explaining the causes behind this extreme heatwave, expert Ashton Robinson Cook from the U.S. Weather Forecast Center noted that it could be due to the influence of a stagnant air mass in the atmosphere, which prevented cooler air and storms from entering the region.
The expert indicated that Texas recorded temperatures around 37°C on July 12; however, when factoring in both temperature and relative humidity (the heat index), the heat in some areas reached equivalent levels of 46°C. According to Cook, warmer sea temperatures have contributed to a more humid atmosphere, leading to a higher heat index across most regions of the state.
U.S. health officials have advised the public to be cautious of extreme heat, avoid outdoor activities during peak temperatures from 10 AM to 3 PM, reduce physical exertion, stay hydrated, and pay attention to the well-being of vulnerable individuals such as the elderly, young children, and the homeless. Authorities have warned that the heatwave also increases the risk of wildfires.
Near 10 AM at the Desert Botanical Garden, the thermometer reached 44°C, while a Saguaro cactus recorded a surface temperature of 49°C (equivalent to 120°F).
At noon on July 28, a worker was drinking water to cool off during the summer heat. At this time, the recorded temperature was 37°C, but the surface temperature reached 40°C.
The road surface temperature in the city recorded at 12:30 PM reached 66°C.
A man continues to sweat despite resting in the shade. The recorded temperature at 3 PM on July 29 reached 40°C.
The heat of 62°C envelops a homeless man sitting next to a parking lot.
