“We've tested it over the years, and it's pretty consistent that on a hot summer afternoon in Arizona, black asphalt can get [to]170 to 180 degrees,” Kevin Foster, director of the Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix, told the CBC.
Despite continued excessive heat warnings, some Phoenicians are still spending their workdays in dangerous conditions. “It’s honestly the hottest I have ever seen it. Like, I can drink a gallon of water a day and still not urinate," Hector told Phoenix New Times on Thursday.
Hector, an electrician, is working with this brother on a hotel renovation and said that the air conditioner hasn’t been working in the building. “You have to get out of there by 2:30 p.m., or it’s just lights out — it’s too hot,” he added.
Others, such as Compton-born mechanic Byron, are forced to spend their days outside servicing cars. “It’s really rough, and I have to be outside this whole time. There is no shade,” he said.
Even shaded areas, such as the city’s splash pads and parks, have remained predominantly free of kids, dog walkers and sunbathers. Bob, who moved to Phoenix from Missouri in 1973, was the notable exception at Steele Indian School Park on Thursday when the thermometer topped out at 115 degrees.
“I mean, I don’t think it’s that bad,” he explained while sitting shirtless on a concrete bench in the sun. “I’ve still been walking and getting in my vitamin D. You just have to stay hydrated.”
With at least another few days of extreme weather awaiting Phoenicians, Bob may be one of the only residents enjoying the heat.
The playground at Magic Keys to Learning Children's Development Center on Van Buren Street was noticeably silent as the children were cooped up inside. In the yard, plastic toys bore the brunt of the burning sun.
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Cooks in the La Frontera food truck on 16th Street said business has been slow lately. Although there is some air conditioning in the truck, it is limited. One cook said that she was used to these kinds of temperatures because "I'm Mexican!"
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While Hector, an electrician, has been working indoors most days, he said that it has been unbearable because the building doesn't have air conditioning.
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Even the local plant life has been feeling the effects of the heat. This normally robust cactus looked like a deflated balloon and was surrounded by browning succulents.
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One of the few pedestrians on Roosevelt Row, this woman went for a jog with her dog. According to Kevin Foster, director of the Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix, the pavement is so hot that it is causing third-degree burns to humans and pets.
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The patio was empty at Pomo on North First Street. Few patrons have been frequenting the pizzeria for the last two weeks.
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DaMazjha and her mom, the owner of Gma's & Gpa's food cart, said that shade from a giant palm tree is the only thing keeping them from overheating. Although business has been slower than normal, they said that construction workers from an adjacent site have kept them afloat.
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Kevin, a pizza maker at The Churchill's Freak Brothers Pizza, said he is unbothered by the heat. "I'd say we're pretty used to it," he remarked while preparing a pizza next to a scorching hot oven.
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Neighbor Market co-owner Asta and her son, Miles, opted to keep their front door latched tight to beat the heat. Because the air conditioning inside is set to 75 degrees, Asta said that she has loved coming into the shop to work but admitted that she leaves before 3 p.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day.
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