FORECAST: Extreme Heat Warning! Hazy skies and monsoon storms soon

An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect through Tuesday evening, with temperatures expected in record territory again.

Extreme heat and monsoon storms expected

By: Jorge Torres

PHOENIX — Hazy skies are blanketing the Valley this morning, thanks to overnight storms in southeast Arizona that stirred up widespread blowing dust.

As a result, air quality has dropped into the unhealthy to hazardous range in some areas, prompting a High Pollution Advisory.

A similar pattern is expected tomorrow. Dust from tonight may still linger in the morning, and more could blow in by evening. That means pollution levels could once again exceed safe limits, with another High Pollution Advisory already planned for Wednesday.

Air pollution like this can be especially harmful to vulnerable groups, including children, older adults, people who exercise outdoors, and anyone with asthma, bronchitis, or heart and lung conditions.

Breathing in fine particles from dust and smoke can trigger asthma attacks, worsen existing respiratory issues, and weaken the body’s ability to fight infections.

Symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat. The smallest particles pose the biggest risk, since they can reach deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.

To reduce your exposure and help keep the air cleaner, avoid burning wood when possible, skip fireworks, carpool or work remotely, limit unnecessary driving, steer clear of dirt roads, and avoid using leaf blowers. If you must burn wood for heat or cooking, be sure it’s dry to reduce harmful emissions.

Extreme heat hangs on, too!

An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect through Tuesday evening, with temperatures expected in record territory again.

Phoenix dipped to 93° this morning, unofficially breaking the record for warmest low temperature on this date. The current record is 90°, set back in 2013.

It won’t be official until after midnight, depending on whether monsoon storms manage to cool things down later this evening.

Tuesday's record high is 115 degrees set in 1990. We'll be close with a forecast high of 113 degrees in Phoenix.

So, Tuesday will be another ABC15 Weather Action Day as the risk for heat-related illnesses remains high.

Make sure you stay hydrated, avoid outdoor activities during the heat of the day, and wear lightweight, breathable clothing.

If you need to be outside, take frequent breaks in the shade, reapply sunscreen often, and never leave children or pets inside vehicles. It's also important to keep your pets inside during the the day, too.

High pressure is bringing the heat, but as it shifts east monsoon moisture will stream in and chances for storms will increase all across Arizona.

Storms will fire up in the high country this afternoon and gradually push southwest throughout the evening.

Watch out for wind gusts near 50 miles an hour with some of the storms in eastern Arizona, which may lead to areas of blowing dust near Safford and Tucson.

A Blowing Dust Advisory is in effect from 2 to 8 p.m. across southern Arizona. Visibility may go down to a mile or less in some areas. So, stay alert and pull aside if you get caught driving in the dust.

Remember, "Pull aside, Stay alive." Pull off of the road, put your car in park, turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake. Wait there until visibility improves.

Outflow boundaries from storms along the Mogollon Rim may drift into the Valley today, bringing the potential for gusty winds and areas of blowing dust. There's also a slight chance a few isolated storms could impact parts of the Valley late in the day.

These storms may produce lightning without much rain, increasing the chance of wildfires, especially in northwestern Arizona.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Mohave County, due to dangerous fire weather conditions.

The combination of very dry air with, isolated to scattered dry thunderstorms, and strong outflow winds with gusts up to 50 mph creates a high risk for wildfires.

Any fires that start could spread rapidly, so outdoor burning is strongly discouraged.

By Wednesday, scattered monsoon storms are expected in the Phoenix metro area. These storms could produce locally heavy rain, frequent lightning, flash flooding (especially in areas near burn scars), and more blowing dust.

If flooding occurs, remember "Turn Around, Don’t Drown". Never attempt to drive through a flooded roadway. It could put your life and the lives of first responders at risk.

Stay safe and check for frequent updates on these storms here on abc15.com.

Storm chances are expected to gradually decrease as we approach the Fourth of July and clear out of our Valley forecast completely by Saturday and Sunday.