Eight people die in Mexico heatwave

MEXICO CITY – Eight people have died in the third heatwave to hit Mexico since mid-April, the country’s Health Ministry said on Friday.

Temperatures reached a record high of 35 deg C in the capital Mexico City this week.

Seven of the victims died of heatstroke and one of dehydration between April 14 and June 12, the ministry said in a statement.

In the north-eastern city of Monterrey, temperatures exceeded 40 deg C, while water pressure was reduced in homes and an increased demand for electricity including air-conditioning led to power cuts.

Ms Wendy Tijerina, a Monterrey resident, said the heat is more intense because the city lies in an industrial zone.

“There is a lack of water, you can’t bathe the children or even use a fan because they cut the power,” she told AFP.

She said her family tries to drink a lot of water to protect themselves from heatstroke.

The government of Nuevo Leon state, where Monterrey is located, has limited the time children attend school to two hours a day to avoid the sun.

In 2022, Mexico declared a drought emergency in parts of the country as a heatwave and dearth of rain depleted reservoirs.

The authorities in some cities, including Monterrey, allowed households to access running water for only a few hours a day for several weeks. AFP