PHOENIX — Wednesday, July 9 has officially become the hottest day of 2025 in Phoenix, as temperatures at Sky Harbor Airport soared to a scorching 118°F (47.8°C) by 3:45 p.m., setting a new daily record. Earlier in the afternoon, at 2:24 p.m., the mercury hit 117°F (47.2°C), already surpassing the previous July 9 record of 116°F (46.6°C) shared by both 2024 and 1958.
This marks the second time this summer that Phoenix has reached at least 117°F (47.2°C), reinforcing the brutal intensity of this year’s desert heatwave.
Forecasters expect temperatures to slightly ease in the coming days as the high pressure ridge dominating Arizona begins to shift westward, moving closer to Southern California. Nevertheless, an extreme heat warning remains active through Thursday across most areas of Arizona situated below 4,000 feet elevation. Thursday is also marked as a First Alert Weather Day, signaling continued dangerous conditions.
Even overnight lows aren’t offering much relief. Early morning temperatures are hovering in the low 90s°F (around 32°C), potentially setting new record warm minimums for the season.
As the ridge centers west of San Diego, daytime highs are expected to remain below 110°F (43.3°C) through the weekend, but that still sits well above the seasonal norm. Summer heat in the Sonoran Desert remains a serious hazard, even when not record-breaking.
The current ridge pattern and its clockwise air flow will work to divert any incoming moisture away from Arizona, sending it toward New Mexico and northern Mexico instead. This means thunderstorm chances, even in the typically active mountain regions, will remain extremely limited for the rest of the week.
Early forecasts suggest that rain chances could start to return to the Phoenix metro area in approximately 10 days, but confidence remains low this far out.
