If you thought the past few years have been hot, they have nothing on the year 1990!

To get a picture of the record-setting 1990 heat wave, it all started on June 20, when the high temperature in Phoenix reached 113º. The high stayed at or above 113º through June 24, until a high of 120º was measured on June 25. At the time, it was the highest temperature Phoenix had ever recorded since records began in 1896. Sadly, that record did not last long, as the very next day (June 26) the temperature topped out at a remarkable 122º! This temperature still stands as the hottest temperature ever recorded in Phoenix. This record stands just 12º cooler than the record high temperature ever recorded on Earth. That record was set on July 7, 1913, at Furnace Creek (Death Valley), at a scorching 134º.

To understand how intense this Phoenix heat was, let's take a quick look back at what those living in Phoenix would have felt on June 26, 1990.

First off, the low that morning was already 91º. By 8 am, the temperature had risen to 99º and was up to 112º by 11 am. No, that is not a typo; it was above 110º before noon! At 2 pm the temperature rose to the 120º mark and finally at 4 pm, the thermometer read the record-setting 122º! The temperature cooled to 120º by 5 pm and 119º an hour later. The heat continued through the night, with temperatures staying above 100º until midnight! Overall, the temperature remained above 100º for 15 hours, above 110º for 10 hours, and at or above 120º for 4 hours. Bottom line, it was HOT!

Did you live in the Valley during this record-setting heat wave? What were you doing? Tweet me your story: @mattpaceweather