Across the US Southwest, people in desert cities like Phoenix are enduring an extreme heat wave

By TERRY TANG
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Even desert residents accustomed to scorching summers are feeling the grip of an extreme heat wave smacking the Southwest this week. Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Southern California are getting hit with 100-degree-plus temps and excessive heat warnings. To add insult to injury, the region has been left high and dry with no monsoon activity. The National Weather Service says Tuesday that Phoenix has reached 110 degrees for the 12th consecutive day. That’s approaching the longest recorded stretch of 18 days, recorded in 1974.