Excessive Heat — Tucson Metro Area, Arizona
August 27, 2023 · NOAA Storm Events record
Event narrative (NOAA)
Very hot temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees above normal caused the Major Heat Risk category to be reached across eastern Pima County August 27-30. Record highs at Tucson International Airport included 109 degrees on August 28 and 108 on the 29th. The Pima County Medical Examiner determined that heat was the primary cause of death for one individual found indoors on the 28th with a nonfunctioning AC unit in Green Valley where the temperature topped out at 103 degrees. Heat was found to be a contributing factor in the death of four individuals outdoors in Tucson during the period. Two were found outdoors and also experienced a complicating factor of drug toxicity. Three had complicating factors of drug toxicity and one suffered from other health conditions.
Other notable excessive heat events in Arizona
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.