The number of heat-related deaths in the hottest big U.S. city has nearly doubled compared to the same period last year, after Phoenix recorded its warmest June on record.
The number of possible deaths due to heat indicated by The Maricopa County coroner’s office totaled 175 on June 29 — a staggering 84% increase over the same period last year.
The current total includes 162 suspected deaths still under investigation and 13 confirmed heat-related deaths.
The death toll from extreme heat rises every year in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, the state capital of Arizona and the fifth-largest city in the United States.
Deaths are concentrated in Phoenix despite city and state efforts to address rising heat-related deaths and illnesses.
Last year, Phoenix had a month of consecutive days above 110F (43C) and a record 645 heat-related deaths in the county – a 700% increase over the past decade. But the unprecedented July heat wave followed a cooler-than-normal June, which may partly explain the early-season surge in heat-related deaths recorded so far this year.
The average temperature — a measure that takes into account daily highs and lows — made June 2024 the hottest month on record in the city. That was largely driven by multiple record-warm lows, or nighttime temperatures, toward the end of the month, when moisture from a tropical system lingered over the region, trapping daytime heat and limiting cooling.
The June 27th low was 95F (34°C), breaking the previous record for the warmest overnight low in June, which was 93F (34°C), set in 1990. The warmer nights are particularly alarming to public health experts because heat is cumulative and the body cannot properly recover until temperatures drop below 80F (27°C).
Dangerously high temperatures are forecast for Maricopa County and the entire southwestern United States, with a heat dome — a strong area of high pressure and warm air — expected to last through the middle of next week, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. in a message on X.
With no rain in the forecast, temperatures in Phoenix could soar above 115 degrees Fahrenheit over the next few days. Records are likely to be broken in parts of California and Las Vegas, according to Gabriel Lojero, a meteorologist with NWS Phoenix.
“The heat will be very severe across much of the Southwest, with an extreme heat warning in effect for most of the region. The heat wave will be especially severe over the Fourth of July weekend, when more people are taking part in outdoor activities,” Lojero said.
Heat-related deaths are rising in the U.S. and worldwide. Official numbers are likely a significant underestimate, as many coroners have not yet developed procedures similar to those in Maricopa County.
So far this year, the heat has also claimed at least two lives in Idaho and at least five in Kansas Cityaccording to reports from local health officials.
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Investigating suspected heat-related deaths takes time.
Of the 13 confirmed heat-related deaths in Maricopa County so far this year, 46 percent were Black, Latino or Native American; 69 percent were men and 31 percent were women. At least two of the deaths occurred indoors. In one case, the deceased’s air conditioning had been turned off; in the other, it was not working, according to preliminary investigations.
According to the Phoenix Fire Department, 424 emergency calls have been responded to due to the heat so far this year.
It’s unclear what impact the city’s decision to remove a large homeless encampment from downtown—where many services are located—will have on heat-related deaths, as 45% of deaths last year involved homeless people. So far this year, 31% of confirmed deaths have involved homeless people. It’s unclear whether some homeless people have left because of Phoenix’s increasingly draconian approach to homelessness.
In May, activists condemned Phoenix for effectively criminalizing homelessness after the Democratic-led City Council voted unanimously to ban people from sleeping, cooking or camping at municipal buildings, in parks and parking lots, and within 500 feet of schools, daycare centers, shelters and parks.
The tent ban can now be enforced after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that it is not unconstitutional for cities to arrest and fine people for sleeping in public spaces, even if there is no shelter. Phoenix “will continue to provide shelter and services when possible, and will ask for compliance before making an arrest,” said city attorney Julie Kriegh.
The region is accustomed to a hot desert climate, but daytime and nighttime temperatures are rising due to global warming. The deadly effects have been exacerbated by decades of unchecked urban development that has created a vast heat island, which the city is trying to address with a variety of programs.