Extreme heatwave in Mexico causes over 100 deaths
Latin American nation reports over 1,000 heat-related emergencies in June, of which 104 resulted in deaths.
People cool off in fountains during a period of high temperatures, at the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City. / Photo: Reuters archive
More than 100 people have died due to extreme heat in Mexico in June, the government said, following a series of heatwaves in the Latin American nation.
Over 1,000 heat-related emergencies were reported in Mexico between June 12 and 25, of which 104 resulted in deaths, according to Health Ministry figures released on Wednesday.
Authorities had already reported eight deaths between April 14 and May 31, bringing the total to 112.
The main cause was heat stroke, followed by dehydration, according to the Health Ministry.
Mexico's northern regions reported the most fatalities, with 64 deaths recorded in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon and 19 in neighbouring Tamaulipas, bordering the US state of Texas, which has also been hit by extreme heat.
In Mexico, a maximum temperature of 49 degrees Celsius was recorded this week in the northwestern state of Sonora, the Health Ministry said.
Average maximum temperatures in Mexico during the summer fluctuate between 30 and 45 degrees Celsius, it added.
Authorities warn that another heatwave could affect the country of 127 million people starting on July 1.
Lopez Obrador downplays figures
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador claimed last week that mounting reports of heat deaths were untrue and were part of a media campaign against his administration.
"There is an alarmist, yellow-journalism trend," Lopez Obrador said, citing lower death figures that were already outdated at that time.
It wasn't clear why the president thought the deaths were a political issue, possibly because several media outlets reported claims that some of the deaths were caused by electricity shutoffs at some of the victims' homes.
Lopez Obrador is a staunch defender of the state-owned power utility.
The high number of heat-related deaths appeared to be due in part not only to high temperatures, but to a delay in the onset of seasonal rains that normally come to Mexico in mid-June and tend to cool things off a bit.
In May, the United Nations warned that it is near-certain that 2023-2027 will be the warmest five-year period ever recorded, as greenhouse gasses and El Nino combine to send temperatures soaring.
Scientists say global heating is exacerbating adverse weather, with many countries experiencing record-high temperatures.
Copyright © 2024 TRT World.