We are tracking dangerously hot temperatures this Fourth of July holiday weekend.
An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for the Phoenix metro area and most of southwestern Arizona now through Tuesday, July 9th.
Heat alerts extend across western and southern Arizona, and through parts of northern Arizona through the holiday weekend, too.
The risk for heat-related illnesses, like heat exhaustion and heat stroke, is going up and there may be potential impacts on heat-sensitive industries and infrastructure.
Now through Tuesday are also now ABC15 Weather Action Days as a reminder to take action to keep you and your family safe during this scorching hot weather.
Stay hydrated, limit your time outside between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, and watch for signs of heat-related illnesses like dizziness, changes in pulse and muscle cramps.
Never leave kids or pets alone in your vehicle no matter how quick the errand is and keep an eye on kids and the elderly as they are more susceptible to heat-related impacts.
Valley highs will top out near 115 degrees by the Fourth of July and stay within a degree or so of that mark over the next week.
Phoenix highs could also set, tie or come within a degree of the records on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. The current record highs for Friday and Saturday are both at 116 degrees, Monday's record high is 115 degrees and Tuesday's is 116 degrees.
Overnight lows will only cool into the upper 80s to low 90s, providing very little relief from the heat.
So, it’s going to be a very dangerous combination of warm mornings and sizzling hot afternoons.
Heat is the number one weather-related killer and these sizzling hot temperatures can be deadly.
This level of heat will impact anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration. The risk of heat-related illnesses will be in the "major" category on Thursday for the 4th of July, potentially climbing to the "extreme" category by early next week.
Last year was the deadliest year on record for heat deaths. 337 out of 645 heat-related deaths happened when the heat risk was in the "extreme" category. 99 deaths happened when the heat risk was in the “major” category and 162 deaths happened on days that were in the “moderate” category.
