PHOENIX – Phoenix experienced its hottest August day on record Thursday, with a high temperature of 118 degrees.
Previously, the hottest August day ever recorded in Phoenix was 117 degrees, which was first hit in 2011 and then matched in 2020 and 2023, according to historical records from the National Weather Service (NWS).
Thursday also tied July 9 for the hottest day of 2025 so far.
Additionally, the 118 degree mark shattered a 120-year-old daily heat record for Phoenix by 6 degrees.
The previous highest temperature for Aug. 7 was 112 degrees, which was first set way back in 1905 and tied in 2012.
Hottest August day extends ongoing heat wave
The ongoing early-August Phoenix heat wave is rewriting the weather record books.
On Saturday, it reached 114 degrees at Sky Harbor, topping the previous high for Aug. 2 by 1 degree.
Four days later, Phoenix reached 116 degrees on Wednesday to break the 30-year-old daily heat record for Aug. 6. The previous mark of 114 degrees was first set in 1995.
Another record fell Thursday morning, when the mercury bottomed out at 94 degrees, the warmest low temperature ever recorded in Phoenix on Aug. 7. The previous mark was 91 degrees in 2023.
Phoenix extreme heat watch runs through Friday
The Valley has been under an extreme heat watch since late last week. The watch is set to expire at 8 p.m. Friday, a day when the forecast calls for highs between 111 and 113 degrees.
“And then over the weekend, it will be around 110 degrees,” Gabriel Lojero of the NWS in Phoenix told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday morning. “So, at least there will be a slight relief in the overall temperatures, but still above normal.”
Normal for this time of year is 105 degrees.
Lojero warned about the dangers of extreme heat and said people should limit their time outdoors when temperatures soar.
“If you have to be out there, take frequent breaks in the shade, wear light loose-fit clothing and, very importantly, drink lots of water,” he said.
Due to the dangerous conditions, the following Phoenix hiking trails are restricted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on extreme heat warning days:
Camelback Mountain: Echo Canyon Trail and Cholla trail.
Phoenix Mountains Preserve: Piestewa Peak Summit Trail and associated trails.
South Mountain Park and Preserve: Holbert Trail, Mormon Trail, Hau’Pal Loop Trail and access to the National Trail from the Pima Canyon Trailhead.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.
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