CBS Local– It’s impossibly hot in Arizona right now, like a Qatari summer hot.
Temperatures are hovering around 113 degrees Fahrenheit and are even higher in some locations.
It’s so hot, things that definitely shouldn’t be melting, are beginning to melt.
Mailboxes reportedly can’t stand the sun, nor can credit cards. Since those are plastic-based, man-made entities, while alarming, that at least makes sense on some level. What is more worrying is the fact that cacti are melting.
Yes, the plant that’s evolved to the desert climate over its time on earth, and should be able to withstand a typical southwestern climate, can’t take the current heat wave.
Those who have dared touch the pavement barefoot are walking away with burns, and others are getting contact burns from the interior of their scolding hot cars. The Arizona Burn Center has nearly doubled its patients each day since the wave began, according to Independent.
It’s even causing a huge headache for travelers, as American Airlines canceled 50 flights in and out of Phoenix due to the extreme heat.
According to the Washington Post, some smaller planes can only handle temperatures of 118 degrees Fahrenheit and even larger planes are forced to adjust takeoff speeds due to the thin, hot air.
The summer sun in Phoenix and much of the southwest is typically a treat for vacationers and residents alike, but these temperatures are uninhabitable and likely have many longing for the cooler winter months to return to the area real soon.
