2023-08-12 06:04:18
The Ministry of Health of Mexico confirmed this Friday that, In just one week, 20 people died from the extreme temperatures in the state of Sonora, northwest of the country. The Northwest Basin Agency of the National Water Commission (Conagua) warned that July was the hottest month in the history of Sonora, with an increase in the average temperature of almost 3%, going from 33.9 degrees Celsius to 36.6 degrees. This places it as one of the warmest regions in the world and where the effects of the hottest summer in history are already wreaking havoc on the health and economy of the population in the north of the country.
According to the ‘Epidemiological Report of Extreme Natural Temperatures, Sonora 2023’, which is updated every seven days, in epidemiological week 31, between July 30 and August 5, there were 20 deaths as a consequence of the high temperatures that reached the 45 degrees Celsius in cities like Hermosillo, Ciudad Obregón, Caborca and San Luis Río Colorado. However, in total there are 53 deaths since the epidemic surveillance began due to the high temperatures, which occurred since March 19, according to the health authorities. Hospitals and health centers have reported 537 cases of illness or illness related to high temperatures, 191 being due to heat stroke, 343 dehydration and three sunburns.
The Mexican health authorities added that the sum of these 53 deaths points to a mortality rate from this cause of 9.9%. Of the total number, 50 deaths of Mexicans occurred due to heat stroke, of which 23 occurred in the town of Hermosillo; Cajeme (9), San Luis Río Colorado (6), Caborca (4), San Miguel (3), Carbo and Guaymas (2, respectively) and Etchojoa (1). The rest, three more deaths, occurred due to dehydration in Hermosillo, Caborca and Carbo, with one victim in each municipality.
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Among the affected population, the greater vulnerability to extreme temperatures of older adults, children under five years of age and people living on the streets stands out. While, The heatwave, the hottest and driest period of summer, is forecast to end this Fridaywhile Mexican families still pay electricity bills for more than 2,000 pesos (about 113 dollars / about 107 euros at today’s exchange rate) per month to mitigate the heat with refrigeration devices with high energy consumption.
The World Meteorological Organization, scientific arm of the United Nations (UN) recognized that this summer has been the hottest for humanity since specialists keep track. According to the Mexican National Meteorological Service, this year the heatwave phenomenon extended from its expected 40 days to two months due to the effects of ‘El Niño’, a warming meteorological phenomenon.
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