A searing heat wave has swept across Mexico, with ten cities reporting record-high temperatures, including the capital, authorities confirmed on Friday.
The scorching temperatures have triggered blackouts nationwide and strained the power grid to its limits.
Even in the typically moderate high-altitude Mexico City, the continent’s largest urban area, thermometers soared to 34.3 degrees Celsius (93.7 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, surpassing the previous record by a tenth of a degree, which was set just a month earlier.
Neighboring Puebla shattered its previous record of 34.3 degrees Celsius, established in 1947, with temperatures reaching 35.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
In San Luis Potosí, at least four fatalities were attributed to heat stroke, and health authorities are investigating six additional deaths. Over 40 individuals were hospitalized due to symptoms related to heat stroke.
In Ciudad Victoria, a city in the northern border state of Tamaulipas, opposite Texas in the United States, temperatures soared to a scorching 47.4°C on Thursday, surpassing the previous record set in 1998.
The blistering heat led to power outages lasting several hours in certain areas of Mexico this week, primarily in the north, and prompted the suspension of classes in the central state of San Luis Potosi, where temperatures reached 50°C.
In a weekly report released on Thursday, Mexico’s health ministry documented seven heat-related fatalities during this year’s heat season, spanning from March 17 to May 4.
The toll may escalate following the recent intense heatwave. Human-induced climate change and the El Niño phenomenon have contributed to escalating temperatures globally, resulting in lethal heatwaves.
Mexico’s electricity system regulator issued multiple alerts this week as demand surpassed supply in certain regions of the country.
Business chambers and industry analysts have condemned the blackouts, blaming the government for inadequate investment in energy transmission networks and insufficient generation to meet demand.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who will step down from office in October, characterized the blackouts as “exceptional” and assured the public that Mexico possesses ample generation capacity.
The heatwave coincides with a severe nationwide drought, exacerbating the water crisis across much of Mexico and making water a central issue in the upcoming June general elections.
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