If you’re walking around in Phoenix at this time of year, your eyes may try to trick you. From a distance, it might look like there's water on the street.
During the summer, air near the ground (especially near pavement) is much hotter than the air above it, causing the light passing through it to bend.
The human eye often interprets the bending light as a flat, reflective surface that resembles water — a mirage.
Mirage is a French word that traces its root back to the Latin “mirari,” which means “to marvel” to “to wonder” and also has ties to “miracle.”
Despite how cool that imagined water looks, it's important to avoid touching hot pavement in the summer. In 2024, NASA thermal imaging showed asphalt across Phoenix reached temperatures as high as 160 degrees, which can cause burns in a matter of minutes or seconds.
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All fireworks are now prohibited on city property and within 1 mile of city parks and recreational areas.
