Monday marks the first day of another heat wave in Mexico, which is forecast to bring temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country.
According to Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN), the states most affected by the year’s third heat wave will be Baja California Sur, Campeche, Coahuila, Guerrero, Michoacán, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Yucatán. These states could see temperatures surpass 45 C.
Consulta en el siguiente video, las condiciones de cielo y #Temperaturas máximas previstas para esta tarde, en diferentes regiones de #México. pic.twitter.com/PFO67Oaosu
— CONAGUA Clima (@conagua_clima) May 20, 2024
Meanwhile, Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Colima, Durango, northern Hidalgo, Jalisco, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla and Quintana Roo will see temperatures ranging between 40 and 45 C.
Aguascalientes, southwest México state, Guanajuato, Querétaro and Zacatecas will see temperatures hover between 35 and 40 C. Only Mexico City and Tlaxcala will escape the highest temps — those states will see maximums between 30 and 35 C.
This season’s heat waves have brought record temperatures across the country. During Mexico’s second heat wave earlier this month, the highest temperature registered nationwide was 49.6 C, in Gallinas, San Luis Potosí. Ten cities nationwide broke their highest temperature records on May 9, and there have been at least a dozen heat-related deaths.
Due to the scorching temperatures, officials have warned residents to avoid prolonged exposure and to stay hydrated, paying special attention to chronically ill people, children and older adults.
However, some regions will get some relief with rainfall in the forecast this week.
Heavy rains are expected in Chiapas and Oaxaca, while scattered showers are forecast in Guerrero, Michoacán, Morelos and Zacatecas. Aguascalientes could see isolated rainfall, as well as Baja California, Campeche, Mexico City, Coahuila, Durango, State of México, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Puebla, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Veracruz and Yucatán.
Strong winds are also in the forecast for some regions.
Campeche and Yucatán will see gusts ranging between 60 to 80 km/h with dust devils likely on the coasts. Dust devils are also expected to appear in northern and central states.
According to the SMN, between 2017 and 2023, the earliest heat wave arrived in February while the latest occurred in June. The months of April and May registered peak heat wave activity: 71.4% of the heat waves in Mexico occurred during these two spring months.
With reports from Meteo Red
