
On the same day that public school students in parts of Arizona headed back to the classroom, the city of Phoenix set a record for the number of consecutive days over 110 degrees.
In a July 21 letter to officials with the power authority, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs noted that “the Phoenix metro area has seen 18 confirmed heat-related deaths with 69 additional suspected as of July 15. As this devastating heat wave continues, the risk of heat-related deaths, illness and injury will only increase.”