Severe weather affected several parts of the United States on Sunday, with Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, and Kansas experiencing extreme heat. Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest saw unseasonable cold, and snow was forecast for the northern Rocky Mountains. The northern Plains to the Upper Midwest were expected to receive heavy rainfall.
According to the National Weather Service, over 63 million people were under heat advisories on Sunday, from the Southwest extending northward to Denver and Chicago.
In Phoenix, temperatures reached 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44.4 Celsius) on Saturday and eased slightly to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) on Sunday. Weather experts noted that the first two weeks of June in Phoenix have been 5.6 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than usual, marking the hottest start to June on record.
A kid cools off at a fountain (Via Tim Morrison/Getty Images)
Ted Whittock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, emphasized the impact of the high temperatures, advising people to limit outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., stay hydrated, and wear light, loose clothing.
Whittock also mentioned that while temperatures in metro Phoenix will temporarily ease from Monday to Wednesday, they are expected to rise again later in the week, likely triggering another heat warning.
In recent years, excessive heat has been particularly hazardous in metro Phoenix, where a record 645 people died from heat-related causes in 2023. To address this, the city and Maricopa County have introduced additional measures this year, such as two new cooling centers open overnight and more than 100 other cooling locations available since May 1 where people can access cold water and cool spaces during the day.
