Mexico continues to swelter on Tuesday, with temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in nine states: Campeche, Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Yucatán.
The National Meteorological Service (SNM) also predicts temperatures of 40 to 45 C in Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Colima, Durango, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla and Sinaloa; from 35 to 40 C in Aguascalientes, Baja California, México State, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Quintana Roo and Zacatecas; and 30 to 35 C in Mexico City and Tlaxcala.
People are urged to take precautions in the extreme heat, including avoiding sun exposure, hydrating properly, and looking out for children, the elderly and the chronically ill.
The Health Ministry reported eight deaths nationwide in relation to extreme temperatures as of last Friday, however, Health Minister Jorge Alcocer said on Tuesday at the President López Obrador’s morning press conference that deaths associated with the heat wave have not been confirmed.
This is the third heat wave to hit Mexico so far this year which scientists attribute to “El Niño”, a cyclical climate phenomenon that can cause extreme weather around the world. Researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have warned that a fourth wave could hit as early as July 1.
Mexico has also experienced historically low rainfall during the year so far, sparking severe droughts and depleting the water supply in the country’s system of reservoirs.
However, the SNM does forecast heavy rains and winds in some states this week, caused by a channel of low pressure across the interior of the country.
The heaviest rains are predicted in Chiapas (75 to 150mm) and Oaxaca (50 to 75mm), with lighter showers in other regions. The rains could be accompanied by lightning and hail in the southwest, including the Yucatán Peninsula.
With reports from Milenio and Aristegui Noticias
