Meteorologists in the US say the temperature has topped out at 48C in Phoenix as a stifling heat wave blanketing the southwest brought some of the hottest weather in years.
Phoenix has been on watch for 49C for several days, a mark only reached three times in recorded history. But the high ended up a notch lower thanks to brief cloud cover over the city.
It will still go down a tie for the fourth-hottest day in recorded history in Phoenix.
Other cities in the southwest hit the milestone or higher, including Yuma, Arizona, and Palm Springs, California. The California desert city reached 49.5C.
The heat has caused flights to be cancelled, strained the power grid and made life miserable for workers toiling outside.
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