PHOENIX — The hottest stretch of the year (so far) arrives this week. This July heatwave is dangerous, now is the time to prepare yourself and your family.
Extreme Heat Warnings are now in effect Tuesday through Thursday for the Valley and much of southern and western Arizona. Highs across the lower deserts will soar between 110 and 117 degrees.
That's why ABC15 Weather Action Days are in place Tuesday through Thursday.
An Extreme Heat Warning also covers the Grand Canyon below 4,000 feet starting Monday and lasting through Wednesday. That warning will likely be extended, since an Extreme Heat Watch is already in place there from Wednesday evening through Saturday. If you're planning to hike the canyon this week, please reconsider.
Take this heat seriously!
Heat is the deadliest weather hazard in Arizona, and it's the little decisions that make the biggest difference. Limit your time outside during the hottest part of the day. Stay hydrated, even if you don't feel thirsty. Take breaks in the shade or air conditioning whenever you can.
Never leave kids or pets in a hot car, not even for a minute. Also check on your neighbors, especially older adults and anyone without reliable cooling.
We're also tracking an Ozone High Pollution Advisory on Tuesday. So plan on limiting your time outside if you have any respiratory issues like asthma, bronchitis or COPD.
Exposure to ozone can increase the number and severity of asthma attacks, cause or aggravate bronchitis or other lung disease, and reduce the body's ability to fight infection. Symptoms may include itchy eyes, nose, and throat, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and upper respiratory issues.
Please help reduce ozone pollution by driving as little as possible, carpooling or using public transit. Even waiting to refuel your vehicle until after dark and avoiding idling in long drive-thru lines helps too.
The same ridge of high pressure driving this heat will also pull in some moisture.
A few spotty showers and thunderstorms are possible this week, mainly along the Mogollon Rim, the White Mountains, and southeast Arizona.
If that ridge shifts farther north and east next week, it could open the door for a more active round of monsoon storms across the state.
Stay tuned as we get closer to the middle of the month.
2026 Sky Harbor Official Rainfall to date: 0.32" (-2.72" from average)
Monsoon 2026 Sky Harbor Official Rainfall to date: 0.00" (-0.10" from average)
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Daily rainfall reports from all across the Valley can be found here.
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PHOENIX IS GETTING DRIER - LOWER RAINFALL AVERAGES NOW
Average Monsoon Rainfall in Phoenix (1981-2010): 2.71" of rain
NEW Average Monsoon Rainfall in Phoenix (1991-2020): 2.43" of rain
Average Yearly Rainfall in Phoenix (1981-2010): 8:03" of rain
NEW Average Yearly Rainfall in Phoenix (1991-2020): 7.22" of rain
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