There have been 12 confirmed deaths associated with heat in Maricopa County this year so far, according to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
According to a weekly report published by the department on Tuesday, out of the 12 deaths, nine were directly caused by heat and three had contributing heat-related illnesses or symptoms. About 55 more deaths were also believed to be associated with heat, but were still being investigated by Maricopa County Office of Medical Examiner. Core Pulling Cylinder Support
This year's numbers are smaller than last year's. By July 11, 2022, there had been 17 confirmed deaths and 126 were under investigation.
This year's first heat-associated death was on April 11, which came nearly a month later, compared to 2022's first registered death on March 13.
Data in the report showed that about half of this year's confirmed heat deaths were homeless people. In terms of age, about a third were people 75 or older.
The report also showed that hospital visits due to heat-related illnesses have increased as temperatures around the county approached 110 degrees in the beginning of July.
Last year:Unsheltered and unhoused in the heat: 'The urgency now is greater than it’s ever been'
According to experts, the current heat wave is one of the most prolonged and intense ones the state has ever seen.
Phoenix hasn’t seen a day where high temperatures didn’t reach triple digits since June 13, and there are no signs that the heat will let up soon.
The Phoenix area broke the record for the most days under an excessive heat warning, which started on July 1 and will be in place through July 17. The number of days of the current warning nearly doubles Phoenix's past record, which was eight days.
The National Weather Service warns that it could get worse, with high temperatures of 110 degrees or more forecasted well into next week. Computer models that project the weather 16 days into the future "do not show an end to this heat wave," the weather service wrote in a discussion. "This should go down as one of the longest, if not the longest-duration heat wave."
Meteorologists have warned people the heat will reach "very dangerous" levels, and have advised residents planning on doing activities outdoors to stay hydrated and try to find shade.
Phoenix will likely break or tie more records by this weekend, including the largest stretch of consecutive days with temperatures of 110 degrees or above, and the highest temperatures predicted for this weekend's dates.
Temperatures into next week could get even hotter, with major to extreme heat risk expected for most of Arizona, according to the weather service.
Maricopa County offers cooling and hydration stations that are open to the public throughout the heat season. A map to find cooling stations can be found at https://hrn.azmag.gov/#/map.
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Buckle Lock Block More tips to prevent heat-related illness, provided by The Arizona Department of Health Service, include: