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MOST ACCURATE FORECAST: Extreme heat! ABC15 Weather Action Days through the weekend

We are headed into a long stretch of extreme heat through the 4th of July weekend and into the start of next week. An Excessive Heat Warning is now in effect for the Phoenix metro area and most of southwestern Arizona from through at least next Tuesday. Heat alerts extend all across western Arizona, through much of southern Arizona, and into some of the lower elevations across northern Arizona through next Tuesday and Wednesday.

By: Jorge Torres

Posted at 7:51 AM, Jul 03, 2024

PHOENIX — We are headed into a long stretch of extreme heat through the 4th of July weekend and into the start of next week.

An Excessive Heat Warning is now in effect for the Phoenix metro area and most of southwestern Arizona from through at least next Tuesday.

Heat alerts extend all across western Arizona, through much of southern Arizona, and into some of the lower elevations across northern Arizona through next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Now through Tuesday are ABC15 Weather Action Days as a reminder to take action to keep you and your family safe during this dangerous heat wave.

Limit your time outside during the afternoon, stay hydrated with water and electrolyte drinks and never leave kids or pets alone in your vehicle.

Phoenix broke a record high on Friday as well, officially reaching 118 degrees. This breaks the previous record of 116 set back in 1983.

Valley highs will soar to 115 this weekend and stay roughly that hot through much of next week.

Phoenix highs will continue flirting with records on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. The current record highs for Saturday are both at 116 degrees, Monday's record high is 115 degrees and Tuesday's is 116 degrees.

Overnight lows will stay very warm too, only cooling into the upper 80s to low 90s across the Valley.

The warm mornings combined with the sizzling hot afternoons will increase the risk for heat illnesses, so make sure that you're staying hydrated and limiting your time outdoors during the hottest hours of the day. Keep an eye on kids and the elderly as they are more susceptible to heat-related impacts.

Monsoon moisture will be limited in the days ahead, but we could see a few showers and thunderstorms fire up again by Tuesday afternoon across eastern and southeastern Arizona.

The biggest hazards with any storms that develop across Arizona will be strong winds, dangerous lightning and small hail. We could also see downpours and areas of flooding, especially along burn scars, so stay weather-aware and remember to never attempt to drive through flooded washes or roadways.

Air quality will also be an issue through the holiday weekend here in the Valley.

Ozone High Pollution Advisories are in effect for the Phoenix metro area Friday through Saturday and an Ozone High Pollution Watch on Tuesday. These alerts could be upgraded to advisories as we get closer.

If you have a respiratory condition, like asthma, bronchitis or COPD, you may want to limit your time outside or you may have difficulty experience chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, congestion or difficulty breathing.

Everyone should try to carpool, take public transportation or work from home whenever air quality alerts are issued.

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2024 Rainfall totals:

Sky Harbor Official Rainfall: 3.84" (+0.82" from average)

Valley Average (Phoenix Rainfall Index): 3.90"

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2023 Rainfall totals:

Sky Harbor Official Rainfall: 4.21" (-3.01" from average)

Valley Average (Phoenix Rainfall Index): 5.47"

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Daily rainfall reports from all across the Valley can be found here.

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