El Paso sets high temp record for 5th day in row as excessive heat bakes Southwest U.S.

EL PASO, Texas — Excessive heat across the U.S. Southwest led to El Paso setting yet another high temperature record on Friday for a fifth straight day.

The National Weather Service reported El Paso had already broken the record for day by 1 p.m., when the temperature reached 104 degrees at the airport.

And by 5 p.m. El Paso topped out at 107 for the day. The previous record high had been 103 set in 2015.

Friday marked the 44th day of triple-digit temperatures in El Paso this year, observed ABC-7 Chief Meteorologist 'Doppler Dave' Speelman.

He said the all-time high for August remains 108 degrees set back in 1980.

Usually it's in the mid-90s in El Paso at this time of the year, but such has not been the case this week.

On Thursday, El Paso reached 106 degrees, surpassing the record of 102 in 2010. On Wednesday, the high was 107 to beat 102 in 2016. And on Tuesday, El Paso hit 106 degrees to top the old record of 105 from 1993.

Even higher triple-digit temperatures were felt Friday in other desert cities across the southwest, with Las Vegas exceeding 110 degrees and Phoenix having a scorcher at 116.

National Weather Service forecasters are warning that the excessive heat will continue to be the norm in the desert southwest during the weekend.

But 'Doppler Dave' said a cool down for El Paso is coming next week "with temps falling to the upper 90's and a slight chance for rain and a few storms."

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