ANKARA

The US recorded its highest temperature on record in March, when a desert area in Arizona reached 43 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit), media reports said on Friday.

The reading was recorded just outside Martinez Lake in the Yuma Desert on Thursday, the BBC reported, citing the National Weather Service (NWS).

The temperature surpassed the previous March record of 42C (108F), which had stood for more than 60 years after being set in Rio Grande, Texas, in 1964.

The record came amid an intense heat wave affecting much of the US southwest during the final days of winter.

Multiple states, including California, Arizona, and Nevada, also saw unusually high temperatures.

A town near North Shore, California, matched the previous March record of 42C (108F) on March 18, the NWS said.

Phoenix recorded its hottest March day at 40C (105F), exceeding the previous record of 39C (102F).

Las Vegas reached 35C (95F), surpassing its prior March record of 34C (94F).

“Extreme early-season heat coupled with high tourism rates will make this heat very dangerous,” the NWS office in Las Vegas said.

The agency noted that such temperatures typically do not occur until the end of May.

The heat wave was caused by a slow-moving high-pressure system trapping hot air over the region. This pushed temperatures 20–30F above normal levels.

Heat waves have become more frequent and intense, with global temperatures rising by about 1.1C since the industrial era began.