Cooling centers open in Phoenix as extreme heat arrives
Jacob Luthi - Fox 10 Phoenix - May 9, 2026
PHOENIX - The Valley topped triple digits on May 9, and the heat is only intensifying. An extreme heat warning takes effect May 10, with even more triple-digit temperatures expected just in time for Mother’s Day.
What we know:
Cooling centers opened May 1 and will be open until at least the end of September.
At one of the state cooling pods located off West Adams Street in Phoenix, people have been coming in throughout the day to take advantage of the air conditioning. This pod is run by the Arizona Faith Network, one of nearly a dozen the nonprofit helps run each year.
Local perspective:
The Heat Relief Network is a valleywide partnership providing water, cooling centers, and donation sites to help people stay safe during extreme heat. The network’s goal is to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths among vulnerable populations. Last year, the Arizona Faith Network says its locations saw more than 55,000 visits.
"I must remind people it's not just for the unhoused, it's also for everybody that may be experiencing some of the elderly," said Arene Rushdan of the Arizona Faith Network, who operates nearly a dozen cooling centers across the Valley. "If they have the air conditioners not working, they can come in, construction workers can come in. It's not just for the unsheltered, although those are the majority of the members that utilize our centers."
Rushdan said their main goal is tpo help prevent heat-related deaths.
"Just having community members chip in where they can helps out a great deal," Rushdan said.