PHOENIX (AP) - The onslaught of searing temperatures and rising floodwaters struck parts of the United States again on Wednesday with Phoenix breaking an all-time temperature record and rescue crews pulling people from deluged homes and vehicles in Kentucky.
Forecasters said there was little relief in sight from the days of extreme weather for some areas of the country.
Miami has endured a heat index of at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or more for weeks, with temperatures expected to rise even higher this weekend. In Kentucky, meteorologists warned of a “life-threatening situation” in two communities, Mayfield and Wingo, where more rain was expected after waves of thunderstorms brought on flash floods.
More storms threatened the Blue Grass state as the National Weather Service also issued flash flood watches and warnings in nearby states. Forecasts expect as much as 10 inches of rain could fall in the area where Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri meet at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
The weather system is then forecast to move today and Friday over New England, where the ground remains saturated after recent floods. In Connecticut, a mother and her 5-year-old daughter died after being swept down a swollen river on Tuesday.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, a search continued for two children swept away by flash flooding Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Phoenix broke an record Wednesday morning for a warm low temperature at 97 degrees, according to the weather service. The previous record was 96 degrees in 2003.
The desert city of more than 1.6 million people had set a different record Tuesday among U.S. cities by marking 19 straight days of temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
No other major city - defined as the 25 most populous in the United States - has had any stretch of 110-degree days or 90-degree nights longer than Phoenix, said weather historian Christopher Burt of the Weather Company.
On Tuesday, Phoenix had reached 117 degrees by 3 p.m. Many residents were confined indoors, turning the usually vibrant metropolis into a ghost town.
Across the country, Miami marked its 16th straight day of heat indexes in excess of 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The previous record was five days in June 2019.
“And it’s only looking to increase as we head into the later part of the week and the weekend,” said Cameron Pine, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
A person tries to cool off in the shade as temperatures are expected to hit 116-degrees Fahrenheit, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Phoenix. The extreme heat scorching Phoenix set a record Tuesday, the 19th consecutive day temperatures hit at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
A patron tries to cool off at the Justa Center as temperatures are expected to hit 116-degrees Fahrenheit, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Phoenix. Tuesday marks a new record for the most consecutive days in a row over 110-degrees. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Heat waves rise off the pavement as vehicles drive along a downtown street as temperatures are expected to hit 115-degrees Farhenheit, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Phoenix. Tuesday marks a new record for the most consecutive days in a row over 110-degrees. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
A patron tries to cool off at the Justa Center as temperatures are expected to hit 116-degrees Fahrenheit, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Phoenix. The extreme heat scorching Phoenix set a record Tuesday, the 19th consecutive day temperatures hit at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Monsignor Michael Picard, of St. Andrew Roman Catholic Church, pauses while speaking during an interview, Monday, July 17, 2023, in Newtown, Pa. Emergency crews in suburban Philadelphia intensified their search Monday for a missing 9-month-old boy and his 2-year-old sister who were swept away in a family car when torrential rains flooded a roadway. Picard the pastor where family members are parishioners, said he spoke with the grandparents Sunday. The grandfather attended morning Mass on Monday, where the family was included in prayers. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
A parking lot is flooded after heavy rain passed the area on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 in Paducah, Ky. The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches and warnings, estimating that as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain could fall in the area where Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri meet at the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. (Courtesy of Marilyn Gabel via AP)
Workers cross roadway impacted by recent storms and flooding, Monday, July 17, 2023, in Belvidere, N.J. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, right, listens to Perry Hollyer, owner of the Inn by the River, describe flood waters, which destroyed his family's hotel, along the banks of the Lamoille River, Monday, July 17, 2023, in Hardwick, Vt. Last week's storms dumped up to two months' worth of rain in a couple of days in parts of Vermont and New York. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
A parking lot is flooded after heavy rain passed the area on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 in Paducah, Ky. The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches and warnings, estimating that as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain could fall in the area where Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri meet at the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. (Courtesy of Marilyn Gabel via AP)
A parking lot is flooded after heavy rain passed the area on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 in Paducah, Ky. The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches and warnings, estimating that as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain could fall in the area where Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri meet at the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. (Courtesy of Marilyn Gabel via AP)
A senior swimmer clears his nose as he cools off in hot weather, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)