Heatwave in Mexico claims 48 lives since March

In Mexico, 48 people have died in a series of heat waves since March, the government said on Friday. Scientists also warned that new temperature records were possible.

According to the Ministry of Health, more than 950 people suffered various health consequences during the same period.

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

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

“It is a very unfortunate natural phenomenon related to climate change,” he said at his regular morning press conference.

High temperatures and a lack of wind exacerbated the pollution problem, especially in Mexico City, Lopez Obrador added.

The capital, located 2,240 meters above sea level, traditionally has a temperate climate and only a few houses have air conditioning.

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

The northeastern state of San Luis Potosí recorded a high of 49.6 degrees Celsius.

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

This year will be “the warmest year in history,” said Francisco Estrada, coordinator of the university’s climate research program, at a press conference.

But it is not only humans who are suffering – in southern Mexico, dozens of howler monkeys have apparently died due to the heat.