Blistering Heatwave Hits Record Highs! Find Out More

The town of Solidaridad broke its all-time heat index record last Friday, as temperatures soared to a blistering 51 degrees. Weather forecasts predict that this extreme heat will persist in the coming days. This is the first time in two decades of accurate weather record-keeping that the heat index has exceeded the previous high of 49 degrees. For many years, the index had a maximum of 43 degrees. However, in recent weeks, this story has changed dramatically, with intense heat being recorded not just in the city, but across the entire region. Predictions of a heat index exceeding 50 degrees had already been made.

Luis Antonio Morales Ocaña, a meteorologist with Civil Protection, reported that temperatures in the shade have hit 36 degrees, with the potential to reach 38 degrees. "It's very noticeable, we all feel it. Even at night, the temperature remains high, with lows between 28 to 29 degrees. It's very hot," said Morales Ocaña.

Local weather records show that one of the highest temperatures was recorded in 2007, with 37 degrees in the shade. However, this was a one-day event, after which temperatures dropped significantly. In contrast, we are now seeing several consecutive days of these high temperatures. "This year, we started to experience rising temperatures from January. We've had increasing temperatures since the start of the year and a prolonged drought. Although there are signs of change, we are currently only experiencing light rain," Morales Ocaña explained.

According to climate change projections, there is a high likelihood of heavy rains in the second half of the year. "The first rains are expected in the first half of June. Just as we've had a prolonged drought, forecast models predict a rainfall anomaly starting from June across the Caribbean Sea area and throughout the entire Yucatan Peninsula, with intense rains," the specialist predicted.