Maricopa County has confirmed more than double the number of heat-related deaths so far this year compared to the same point last summer.
As of Tuesday, the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner had confirmed 81 heat-related deaths in 2026. At the same point last year, 35 deaths had been confirmed. 587 more deaths from this year remain under investigation as potentially heat-related. That compares to 376 that were still under investigation at this point last year.