Arizona's Record-Breaking Summer Heat | Mesa News

Summer 2026 shattered records as the warmest on record for Arizona and much of the globe, fueled by relentless heat and a potentially record-breaking El Niño. While daily highs were intense—39 days over 110°F, 9 over 115°F—what really drove the average was the lack of nighttime cooling: Phoenix had 27 nights with lows of 90°F or hotter, 14 breaking records. The Southwest dominated U.S. heat rankings, with all Four Corners states experiencing their warmest summers. Rainfall was mixed—Phoenix and Flagstaff slightly below average, Tucson above—but monsoon season is still active. El Niño’s role is ambiguous: it didn’t directly cause the heat, but may have nudged rainfall toward normal, with its bigger impacts expected in winter and hurricane seasons. Watch out—Pacific moisture from El Niño could still influence the Southwest as fall approaches.

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