phoenix – A hellish historic 31 days of temperatures dipping below 110 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Celsius) in Phoenix appeared to be heading to a welcome end on Monday as monsoon rains passed through the region from Mexico. rice field.

The relief wasn’t too great, but with the day’s high expected to hit close to 108 degrees, or about 42 degrees Celsius, the heat was expected to rise above 110 degrees again later in the week. But residents and visitors got what they got.

“I’m enjoying the break, even though it only lasts a few days,” said Christine Berteau, 76, who was cooling off in the hospital on Monday. Downtown day center for homeless seniors.

“It’s been really hot here!” Geoffrey Sharp, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, said he was in town on Monday for a long weekend watching his son’s poodles frolicking at a grassy dog ​​park. . “But it was about 85 degrees today, close to Wisconsin.”

high fever It hit much of the southwest from west Texas to eastern California throughout July. However, Phoenix and its suburbs set a new record with three days of highs of 119 degrees Celsius, with nighttime lows above 90 degrees Celsius for more than half the month. Concerts and other outdoor events were canceled throughout the month due to the heat, and the city’s downtown streets were crowded. ghost town People stayed indoors to avoid the heat.

Health officials have so far confirmed 25 heat-related deaths in July in Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous county, home of Phoenix, but that number is sure to rise. A further 249 deaths are still under investigation related to fever.

People who come to eat and sunbathe “have had a very hard time this summer,” said Rudy Soliz, who manages the center where Bertaud was cooling off.

“Older people struggle more with the heat, and many have diabetes and take medication,” he said.

“The heat this summer has been really, really bad. We’ve called at least five 911 calls from here in July this year for people who got heatstroke,” Soliz said. “Several bodies were found around here this month, but it’s not yet clear if they died from the heat.”

The city has not been over-alarmed, but the National Weather Service said Phoenix residents should take precautions to stay cool and safe from the heat.

“Although it will be cooler than normal, it will still be hotter than normal. And this heat can definitely still affect a large portion of the population,” said Matthew, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Phoenix. Hersh said. “Therefore, we are still urging people to take necessary precautions, such as staying hydrated and limiting outdoor activities.”

Phoenix’s previous record of temperatures above 110 degrees Celsius was 18 in 1974, nearly two weeks short of the new record.

Hirsch said July 2023 was the hottest month on record for the city. His hottest month on record so far was August 2020.

And August could be even hotter than July, Hirsch said. He said there was a slightly higher chance of warmer-than-normal temperatures in August and an equal chance of more or less rain than average for the region.

Canadian-born businessman R. Glenn Williamson, who has lived in Phoenix for years, said he really noticed the temperature difference Monday morning while washing his car in the driveway.

“Now we have to get the moisture out!” Williamson said. “But to be honest, I prefer this heat to winter in Montreal.”

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Mr. Costley reported from New Orleans.

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Follow Drew Costley on Twitter: @drewcostley.

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The Associated Press’ Health Sciences Division is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.