Rain wasnβt the only thing falling Tuesday in Tucson.
A heat streak record toppled too.
Tuesday marked the end of Tucsonβs record of consecutive days with temperatures reaching or exceeding 100 degrees.
It lasted 53 days.
The stretch of days of at least 100 degrees here ran from June 16 to Aug. 7.
Tuesdayβs official temperature peaked at 99 degrees.
The previous record for consecutive triple-digit days in Tucson was set in 2013. That one lasted 39 days, from June 1 through July 9 of that year.
The end of the streak was helped by cloud cover earlier in the day, which curbed the usual daytime heating and contributed to keeping the temperature below the century mark, said Gigi Giralte, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tucson.
Additionally, the arrival of afternoon storms and accompanying winds, also helped drop the temperature and put and end to the heat streak, Giralte said.
The weather service cautioned that temperature fluctuations depend on various factors. The forecast for the rest of the week calls for highs peaking above 100, but the weekend holds solid thunderstorm chances, with a 50% chance on Saturday and a 40% chance on Sunday, according to the weather service.
But how productive and wet have monsoon storms been so far?
Overall, Tucson has received 2.04 inches of rain so far this monsoon season, which is slightly below the average precipitation amount for this time of year, which is 2.87 inches.
The Tucson area saw heavy wind, hail and rain Monday afternoon as the 2023 monsoon kicked off.
By 6 p.m., the Rillito River had been brought back to life after weeks of excessive, dry heat. This clip shows the river just west of North Campbell Avenue.
