Ten cities in Mexico have registered record-high temperatures, including the capital, authorities said on Friday, amid a searing heat wave that has prompted blackouts nationwide and pushed the power grid to the brink.
The intense heat caused blackouts lasting several hours in some areas of Mexico this week, mainly in the north, and caused classes to be suspended in the central state of San Luis Potosi, which this week reached 50 C.
Human-caused climate change and El Nino have been pushing up temperatures worldwide and causing deadly heat waves.
Mexico’s electricity system regulator issued several alerts this week as demand in some parts of the country exceeded supply.
Business chambers and sector analysts criticized the blackouts, accusing the government of not investing in energy transmission networks or in sufficient generation to cover demand.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who leaves office in October, described the blackouts as “exceptional” and assured that Mexico has sufficient generation capacity.
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