It's Official: This Summer Is Hot

Published: Tuesday, August 2, 2016 - 6:07pm
Updated: Tuesday, August 2, 2016 - 6:20pm
(Photo by KJZZ)
A resident rests in the shade.

This may not come as a surprise, but Arizona is the middle of experiencing one of its warmest summers on record.

Temperatures in the state are now nearly six degrees higher than they were last century.

At 80.3 degrees, Arizona’s average temperature in June was warmest on record for the month, far exceeding the 74.4 average recorded in the 20th Century, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Mark O’Malley of the National Weather Service said Phoenix tied for the warmest June and then recorded its 5th warmest July.

“When you combine them, it’s easily the warmest two months, June and July, that we’ve seen in Phoenix," O’Malley  said. "It is rather significant, and if your cooling bills are much higher than normal...that’s the reason for it.”

The NOAA figures also reflect this year is no anomaly. Arizona’s average temperature has set record highs over the last 2, 3, 4 and 5-year periods.

Science