US city thats 'uninhabitable without air conditioning' has first 100-degree day of 2025

The city of Phoenix, Arizona flirted with its first 100-degree day of the year on Tuesday, falling just short of the milestone that is normally reserved for mid-May.

Forecasters had signaled the temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport could hit 100, marking what would have been the earliest date on record for the city to hit triple digits. The airport ended up one degree shy at 99 degrees Tuesday afternoon.

According to the National Weather Service, the city on average doesn't hit 100 degrees until May 11.

“It’s unseasonable, but it’s not something people should be concerned about,” Alicia Ryan, a weather service meteorologist in Phoenix told The Associated Press.

The heat was a blip in a week where temperatures are expected to dip Wednesday and Thursday under cloud cover, followed by another drop over the weekend, the weather service said.

Still, the uptick in heat Tuesday was enough to leave people dreading what the summer has in store.

An alarming claim has been made by a meteorologist who said that an American city has become "one of the first" places in the world to be deemed "uninhabitable without air conditioning."

Laura Tobin said that Phoenix, Arizona is the worst-off area, as it regularly battles severe heat waves in the summer months.

No other major city defined as the 25 most populous in the United States has had any stretch of 110-degree days or 90-degree nights longer than Phoenix. Laura, known for her work as a weather broadcaster on ITV's daily news program, Good Morning Britain, made the bold statement during the show in 2023.

Maricopa County public health officials confirmed 602 heat-related deaths in 2024, with another eight being investigated for possible heat causes, according to a preliminary report. Officials say those numbers represent the first decrease in heat deaths since 2014 in a county with about 4.5 million residents.

Heat strokes, cardiovascular disease, and renal disorders are common causes of death during heatwaves. In addition, for those regions with elevated pollution levels, the heatwaves can have a compounded effect on health and put people at added risk.

While some viewers expressed genuine concern over the severity of the heatwave and its potential implications for human health, there were also climate deniers who criticized Laura Tobin for "fear-mongering" with her warnings. Nonetheless, many experts agree that the current heatwave is a huge cause for concern, amid the backdrop of climate change.

Dr Karsten Haustein, Climate Service Center Germany, said: “Both length and intensity of heatwaves increase as long as we keep warming the planet by virtue of emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It’s simple physics and nothing will change that.