Mexico is battling 159 active wildfires across the country amid the year’s second heat wave, which has also put the country’s power grid under pressure.
Mexico’s national meteorological service issued a alert that at least 12 states would experience temperatures exceeding 45°C (113°F), with large areas of the rest of the country expected to experience temperatures exceeding 30°C.
The heat wave increased energy demand, prompting the country’s grid operator to declare the system entered a state of emergency on Thursday night for the second time this week. This means that the available power was below adequate levels. On Wednesday, operator Cenace also declared the system in a state of alert.
National Forestry Commission of Mexico (Conafor) he said wildfires spread across 75,474 hectares (186,500 acres). It also stated that 30 of the fires occurred in protected natural areas.
Mexico City and several other regions of the country faced blackouts, Milenio reported Thursday. Some schools closed due to high temperatures in areas such as San Luis Potosi, El Universal reported.
Parts of the country have also been facing drought. The capital’s neighboring metropolis, with around 20 million inhabitants, has seen intermittent water supply in recent months due to lower-than-expected rainfall.
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