At least 14 heat-related deaths have been tallied in Texas and Louisiana, while Mexico clocks 112 fatalities this year
The heat wave has resulted in at least 14 deaths in the US states of Texas and Louisiana as of Thursday.
And on Wednesday, Mexican authorities released a report indicating that 112 people have died from heat-related causes so far this year, including 69 deaths in just one week this month.
That total was nearly three times higher than the overall number of heat-related deaths in 2022, which peaked at 42, according to Mexico’s health ministry.
But Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has cast doubt on the rising death toll, dismissing reports as part of an “alarmist, yellow-journalism trend”.
Meanwhile, the country has experienced temperatures soaring as high as 40 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit) in recent weeks. Many of the deaths have occurred in northern states such as Nuevo Leon, which partly borders Texas, due to heat stroke and dehydration.
Climate change a factor
Extreme weather events like heatwaves have increased in frequency and intensity partly due to climate change. The extreme temperatures can pose deadly risks to residents and disrupt services in areas such as energy and transportation.
