Mexico has recorded 48 deaths since March this year due to extreme heat, a government source said on May 24, 2024. Scientists warn about the possibility of setting new temperature records in the near future. In one state the temperature has already reached 49.6 degrees Celsius. Last year, the country reported a record 419 heat-related deaths in the season, which runs from March to October.
According to the Ministry of Health, during the same period, more than 950 people suffered from various effects of high temperatures. Last year, the country reported a record 419 heat-related deaths in the season, which runs from March to October. Mexico’s population is 129 million.
The country’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called the current heat wave “exceptional.”
“This is a very unfortunate natural phenomenon associated with climate change,” he said at a press conference.
High temperatures and lack of wind are exacerbating the air pollution problem, especially in Mexico City, he added. The capital, located at an altitude of 2240 meters above sea level, has a traditionally temperate climate, and few houses are equipped with air conditioning.
On May 9, Mexico City recorded a record high temperature of 34.3 degrees Celsius, the National Water Commission reported. And in the northeastern state of San Luis Potosi, the temperature has already reached 49.6 degrees Celsius.
Scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico warn that new temperature records could be broken in the next two weeks.
The heat isn’t just affecting people: in the south of the country, dozens of howler monkeys have died, presumably due to extreme temperatures.