Phoenix has smashed heat record after heat record this summer and is on track to top some more as a deadly heat wave is forecast to arrive today.

Why it matters: Extreme heat is becoming increasingly common in Phoenix and the Southwest.

• Heat contributed to 645 deaths in metro Phoenix last year. The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner has already confirmed 177 heat-related deaths this year and is investigating another 436.

State of play: Phoenix hit 100° for the 100th day in a row yesterday, and the streak has no end in sight. The previous 100-plus-degree streak was 76 days, set in 1993.

• Phoenix's average temperature of the meteorological summer (June-August) was 98.9° — beating the record of 97° from last year, per National Weather Service Phoenix meteorologist Sean Benedict.

Flashback: 2023 saw higher individual daytime temperatures — Sky Harbor recorded 31 straight days of at least 110° from June 30 to July 30 — but this summer's heat started much earlier and has sustained since late May, Benedict told Axios.

The intrigue: Four of the six hottest summers on record were in the past six years.

Context: Heat waves are becoming more common, intense and longer-lasting due to human-caused global warming.

What's next: A strong heat dome will send temperatures soaring into 110-degree territory in Phoenix as early as today.

• The Valley will be under an excessive heat warning from today at 11am to Friday at 8pm.
• Tomorrow is expected to be the warmest day of the heat wave, with high temperatures forecast in the 110- to 114-degree range, Benedict said.

What we're watching: Phoenix has hit 110° 54 times this year, and this week's elevated temperatures will likely be hot enough to top last year's record of 55 110-degree days, Benedict said.

Stay cool

The youngest son of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), 1st Lt. Jimmy McCain, recently registered as a Democrat and plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, he told CNN in an interview this week.

The big picture: The former Republican senator's family members have come out in recent years against former President Trump, but Jimmy McCain's stance marks the most public distancing from the GOP.

Zoom in: Jimmy McCain, who has served in the military for 17 years, expressed outrage at the Trump campaign's encounter at Arlington National Cemetery last week, calling it "a violation" and "a painful experience."

• Following the circulation of photos of Trump smiling at gravesites with families of fallen service members, the campaign was accused of using the site for political purposes.

"It just blows me away," McCain told CNN. "These men and women that are laying in the ground there have no choice" in becoming a backdrop for a political campaign.

• The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

What he's saying: After years of being a registered independent, McCain said he registered as a Democrat with the intention to vote for Harris. He added he "would get involved in any way I could" to help her win.

Meghan McCain weighs in

New COVID-19 vaccine boosters are rolling out in the Phoenix area.

Why it matters: Much of the U.S. experienced a summer surge in COVID infections, and Arizona was among the harder-hit states.

• The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 2,834 cases the week of Aug. 18, the most recent week for which data is available.
• That was a drop from the summertime high of 3,567 the previous week.

Context: The new vaccines target the KP.2 variant — the dominant strain nationwide this summer.

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends COVID vaccination for everyone ages 6 months and older.
• The CDC says vaccination is "especially important" for people ages 65 and up or with underlying medical conditions.

Zoom in: Boosters are available at CVS MinuteClinic, Albertsons, Safeway, Fry's, Sam's Club and select Walgreens stores.

• Vaccines.gov lists pharmacies with available COVID vaccines.

Yes, but: If you've had COVID lately, the CDC recommends waiting three months after you recover before getting another jab.

🥁 NAU's marching band was one of 10 selected nationwide to perform in the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (AZcentral)

🎤 GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance will speak at a Turning Point Action event tonight in Mesa and host an event at the Arizona Biltmore tomorrow. (Arizona's Family)

🍻 The founders of Denver Beer Co. are bringing their brews to the Roosevelt Row Arts District with a new concept called Formation Brewing. (Phoenix Business Journal)

Northern Arizona University's football season got off to a strong start under new head coach Brian Wright, but the Lumberjacks will have a tougher test this weekend with an in-state matchup against the Arizona Wildcats.

The big picture: NAU fired former head coach Chris Ball after five seasons, replacing him with Wright, who'd led Pittsburg State's football team since 2019.

The latest: The Lumberjacks started the season with a dominating 66-6 win at home over Lincoln University, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school in Oakland, California.

Yes, but: Saturday's game versus the Wildcats is a road contest against a team ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25 and No. 18 in the Coaches Poll.

Zoom in: This year, the Lumberjacks were projected to take ninth place in the conference in the Big Sky Football Media Poll and seventh in the Big Sky Football Coaches' Poll.

Between the lines: This looks to be a rebuilding year for the Lumberjacks, who lost 15 players to the transfer portal after last season and return with only four starters on each side of the ball, Sports Illustrated wrote.

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