Unrelenting heat scorching the southwestern U.S.

We are tracking more hot weather through the rest of the week, but we’re not the only ones feeling the heat nor are we seeing the worst of it. Portions of the southwestern U.S. - especially in southern Arizona - have been dealing with excessive heat warnings and heat advisories for weeks.

This prolonged heat comes from heat domes, a term used to describe when the atmosphere traps hot air over an area, like a lid on a pot. Similar to hot a pot lid keeps heat and steam in a pot, a heat dome holds hot, humid air over an area which is especially being seen over Arizona.

According to the Phoenix NWS, the area has so far seen 41 days in a row with daytime highs over 100 degrees and 25 days in a row with highs over 110 degrees. Low temperatures haven’t dropped below 90 degrees in 15 days now.

Records continue to be broken this month with no end in sight.