The Valley’s unprecedented March heat wave may have contributed to as many as 28 deaths.
So far in 2026, officials are investigating 42 possible heat-related deaths, according to data released Tuesday by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. The majority of those cases are from March, when the Valley had a record-shattering nine days in triple-digit heat.
One heat-caused death has been confirmed so far this year. According to the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, an 80-year-old man with underlying health conditions died outside his home on March 20, when the high temperature reached 105 degrees — the hottest temperature ever recorded in March in Phoenix…