Arizona’s biggest city has driest monsoon season since weather service began record-keeping in 1895

PHOENIX (AP) — After a summer of extreme heat, Arizona’s most populous city is in the record books again. This time Phoenix has notched a record for dry heat. The National Weather Service says Phoenix’s monsoon season this year dropped only 0.15 inches of rainfall from June 15 to September 30. That’s the driest since the agency began keeping records in 1895. The previous mark was 0.35 inches set in 1924. Phoenix this summer experienced the hottest July and the second-hottest August. The daily average temperature of 97 Fahrenheit in June, July and August passed the previous record of 96.7 set three years ago.