Skip to main content

Mexico City, Mexico (AFP) – Mexico has registered 48 deaths in a series of heat waves since March, the government said Friday, as scientists warned that new temperature records could be coming.

More than 950 people have suffered various health effects over the same period, according to the health ministry.

Last year, Mexico reported a record 419 heat-related deaths in the hot season, which runs from March to October, in a country of 129 million people.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described this year’s heat as “exceptional.”

“It’s a very regrettable natural phenomenon related to climate change,” he said at his regular morning news conference.

High temperatures and a lack of wind were exacerbating the pollution problem in Mexico City in particular, Lopez Obrador added.

The capital, which sits at 2,240 meters (7,350 feet) above sea level, has traditionally enjoyed a temperate climate and few homes have air conditioning.

But thermometers in Mexico City reached a record 34.3 degrees Celsius (93.7 degrees Fahrenheit) on May 9, the National Water Commission said.

The northeastern state of San Luis Potosi registered a high of 49.6 degrees Celsius.

Scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico warned that more records could be broken in the next two weeks.

This year is on course to be “the warmest year in history,” Francisco Estrada, coordinator of the university’s Climate Change Research Program, said at a press conference.

It is not just humans that are suffering — in southern Mexico dozens of howler monkeys have dropped dead, apparently due to the heat.

sem/dr/mdl

© Agence France-Presse

Featured image credit: lifeforstock | Freepik.com

Satellite Image: Aalborg, Denmark
Image of the day: Aalborg along the LimfjordNews

Image of the day: Aalborg along the Limfjord

Aalborg, in northern Denmark, is a city shaped by its position on the Limfjord. The waterway cuts across Jutland, linking the North Sea on the…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskAugust 29, 2025 Full article
On a mission to save our soilsNewsScience

On a mission to save our soils

Italian soil scientist Professor Fabio Terribile is on a mission to improve soil quality, with the help of EU funding and 19 partners across Europe.…
SourceSourceAugust 11, 2024 Full article
Lifestyle app empowering people to reduce environmental impact launches EU-wide versionNews

Lifestyle app empowering people to reduce environmental impact launches EU-wide version

Brussels, Belgium - After the successful uptake of 200,000 tests across eight European countries, the PS Lifestyle Test - which helps people measure their environmental…
SourceSourceMay 30, 2024 Full article