Please allow me to interject my feelings about Mother Nature

Yeah, when it gets 75 at 8K at our place in the Snowies it's hot.

 

Remembering from my childhood all the red-mercury thermometers that topped out at 120.

 

Rest safely, there is no such thing as "red mercury."

Analog thermometers like those are still sold today and are mostly either alcohol or kerosene with red dye. They expand with temperature accordingly and are much safer. The MSDS in my store breakroom would state differently.

 

Summer is boring.

 

Tornadoes all around tonight
Massive storm coming through right now that could dump 2 inches of rain PER HOUR.

 

This might be a dumb question ...
I know this heat wave is exceptional even for Phoenix, but it's not uncommon to get temperatures of 110 to 120 there in the summer, right?
Is it just the duration of the heat wave that is making this one particularly rough?

 

Correct. Phoenix is used to 105-110 for prolonged stretches, but when you start getting above 115, I don't care if it's a dry heat, it's gross. And for this to go on as long as it has just taxes your system, especially when it never cools at night.

 

Sometimes Satan gives you a kiss. Today was MUCH cooler after a brief front and it got to just 92º. Supposed to be 69º in the morning when I go in to work.

But the horn-spiked dildo returns in earnest next week. Back to triple digits on Monday, and by next Sunday GFS models 110º. The suburbs will be a tick cooler but it'll still be nasty.

 

Nice