Heat wave in Quintana Roo leaves 4 dead, 47 affected

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Four people have died from extreme heat in Quintana Roo, where a late-summer heat wave has left at least 47 people with heat-related illnesses, according to federal health authorities.

Mexico’s National Weather Service (SMN) forecast temperatures of 35 to 40 degrees Celsius (95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit) across the state during the final stretch of the canícula, the hottest period of the year.

Seven new cases were reported in recent days, bringing the state’s cumulative total to 47, according to the federal government’s weekly monitoring report for epidemiological week 31. The totals include 31 heat strokes, nine dehydration cases and seven burns.

The heat has put laborers on alert, especially construction workers and others who spend long hours in direct sunlight.

Bricklayers Julio César and Roberto, who are building a wall at an elementary school in the Alfredo V. Bonfil neighborhood, said they try to start their shift before the sun is at its strongest.

“At 7 in the morning the heat is more bearable, but by noon you have to find some shade and drink plenty of water,” they said.

Mototaxi drivers in the same area said they use slow periods to rest under a tree and hydrate. Street vendors who spend the day walking through neighborhoods said they drink sodas to stay alert and energized.

Quintana Roo has now gone three consecutive weeks without recording additional heat-related deaths, but the number of affected people has climbed from 40 to 47, according to the federal report.

State health officials kept the alert in place as extreme heat conditions persist.

With four confirmed deaths, Quintana Roo is tied for fourth place nationally with Chiapas and Tabasco. Baja California leads the country with 33 deaths, followed by Sonora with 22 and Veracruz with seven.

The Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) said the four deaths linked to heat stroke are increasingly worrying and called on labor authorities and state health services to take immediate action.

The group said construction workers face the highest exposure, with some spending up to eight hours a day in the sun on sites where frequent breaks and proper hydration are difficult. It warned that prolonged exposure to high temperatures is already taking a toll and can lead to severe dehydration or heat stroke.

One of the deaths occurred in Playa del Carmen, where a bricklayer died during his work shift, according to state health authorities.