The Mexican Ministry of Health confirmed this Friday, 20 people died from extreme temperatures in just one week in the state of Sonora in the northwest of the country. The Northwest Basin Agency of the National Water Commission (Conagua) warned: July was the hottest month in Sonora’s historyWith an almost 3% increase in the average temperature rising from 33.9 degrees Celsius to 36.6 degrees Celsius. This places it like this: one of the hottest regions in the world and where the effects of the hottest summer in history are already starting to wreak havoc on the health and economy of the population in the north of the country.
According to the ‘Epidemiological Report on Extreme Natural Temperatures Sonora 2023, which is updated every seven days, 20 deaths occurred in the epidemiological week from July 30 to August 5 due to high temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius. Celsius in cities like Hermosillo, Ciudad Obregón, Caborca, and San Luis Río Colorado. However, in total 53 deaths since outbreak surveillance began According to health officials, it is due to the high temperatures that have occurred since March 19. Hospitals and health centers reported 537 cases of illness or illness due to high temperatures, including 191 heatstroke, 343 dehydration, and three sunburns.
Mexican health officials added that the sum of these 53 deaths therefore points to a mortality rate of 9.9%. Of the total number, 50 Mexicans died from heat stroke, 23 of which 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). Three more deaths from dehydration occurred in Hermosillo, Caborca and Carbo, with the rest one victim in each municipality.
Among the affected population, older adults, children under the age of five and people living on the streets are more vulnerable to extreme temperatures. During, The heat wave, which is the hottest and driest period of summer, is expected to end this Friday.Mexican families, on the other hand, still pay electricity bills of more than 2,000 pesos per month (about $113 / about 107 euros at today’s exchange rates) to reduce heat with high-energy cooling devices.
The World Meteorological Organization, the scientific arm of the United Nations (UN), acknowledged that this summer has been the hottest for humanity since experts followed suit. According to Mexico’s National Meteorological Service, this year’s heatwave phenomenon has increased from the expected 40 days to two months due to the effects of the ‘El Niño’, a warming meteorological phenomenon.