Extreme heat causes Phoenix flight cancellations

Name: WORLD
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Officials in Phoenix canceled some flights today due to the extreme heat wave sweeping across Arizona and parts of California and Nevada. Temperatures are forecast to reach 119 degrees today in Phoenix, with Las Vegas reaching 117. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures of 118 or higher have only been recorded 15 times since 1896 when officials first began keeping records. Phoenix last hit 120 degrees 22 years ago, hitting a record-high 122 on June 26, 1990. While larger airplanes at Sky Harbor International Airport aren’t affected by the heat like smaller planes, they can’t carry as much weight as usual, forcing airlines to limit ticket sales. Airlines also are limiting luggage and cargo to meet lower-than-usual takeoff weight requirements.

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Leigh Jones

Leigh is features editor for WORLD. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate who spent six years as a newspaper reporter in Texas before joining WORLD News Group. Leigh also co-wrote Infinite Monster: Courage, Hope, and Resurrection in the Face of One of America's Largest Hurricanes. She resides with her husband and daughter in Houston, Texas.