Extreme August heat shatters more records

PHOENIX - Lack of monsoon rainfall and an unusually intense high pressure system to our east have contributed to the warmest period on record at Sky Harbor International Airport.

This has led to a record-breaking month.  In fact, August 2011 will go down as the hottest August on record -- of all time!

On top of that, August 2011 now ties July 2009 as the hottest month ever on record in Phoenix. The average daily temperature (average of highs and lows) was 98.3 degrees.  The normal (30 year average) for August is 93.6.

In August 2011, the average high temperature was 109 degrees, breaking the old record of 107.3 set in 1962. The average low temperature was 87.5 degrees, breaking the old record of 86.1 set in 2007.

In addition, we broke several other records:

On August 26, 2011 we hit a high of 117!  That broke the all-time record high ever recorded in the month of August at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix.  The previous August record was 116 set on August 10, 2003, August 4, 1973, and August 1, 1972.

We tied or broke 14 records in August -- seven record highs and seven record warm lows.

Our 110+ degree days so far this year are also record breaking. We saw 33 days at or above 110 degrees, well above the average of 18. The old record was 32 days, set back in 2007.

We have also broke the record of most lows at 85 degrees or warmer. As of September 5, we have seen 52, breaking the old record of 51 set back in 1981.

State Climatologist, Nancy Selover tells us that our overnight lows are expected to increase over the years as we continue to add buildings and concrete.  She says, it's possible that we could see an overnight low of 100 degrees in the coming years.

However, she also says that we can control this number and bring it back down by adding more natural desert spaces and living sustainably.