As metro Phoenix sizzles under excessive heat warning, hope for rain later this week
An excessive heat warning has been extended in the Valley through Wednesday. But by the end of the week, thunderstorms are expected in some areas, possibly bringing highs down to 100 degrees.
Alex Young with the National Weather Service in Phoenix says if rain skips central Phoenix, it will set an all-time dryness record.
"Phoenix Sky Harbor, our climate site, has only received six-hundredths of an inch, so 0.06 for the monsoon. Which is by far the driest on record if we don’t get any rain through the rest of the month."
Young says September’s precipitation levels are expected to be normal for the time of year, but the heat may ramp back up.
50 Cent cancels concert, latest in string due to heat
Rapper 50 Cent said Monday that his scheduled show Tuesday night at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, an outdoor venue in west Phoenix, was postponed because of the sweltering weather.
“I’ll be back in Arizona soon! 116 degrees is dangerous for everyone,” the rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, wrote on social media.
National Weather Service meteorologists in Phoenix said Monday’s high topped off at 117 degrees Fahrenheit. Tuesday’s temperature also is expected to reach 117 degrees, which would break the previous record of 113 degrees for Aug. 29, set in 1981.
50 Cent joins the likes of other musicians whose shows have been impacted by the area's scorching temperatures this summer.
In July, heavy metal band Disturbed postponed its concert, saying equipment wouldn't work in metro Phoenix's excessive heat. That outdoor show at the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre has been rescheduled for March 2, 2024.
And at country singer Morgan Wallen’s July 19 concert in Phoenix, some fans complained on social media that some concession stands at Chase Field ran out of water. Others said they left the venue early because of the hot conditions despite the baseball stadium’s retractable roof being closed.
Phoenix is closing in on the record for most 110-degree days in a year — 53 days, set in 2020. Weather Service meteorologists said Tuesday marked the 51st day.
There was no immediate word on when 50 Cent’s Phoenix show on his “The Final Lap Tour” will be rescheduled.
The low temperature this morning at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport was 93°, which is 10 degrees above normal. It also breaks the record warm minimum for the date, which was 90 degrees set in 1981. #azwx
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) August 29, 2023
