Playa del Carmen Breaks Historic Cold Record with Temperature Dropping to 8 Degrees

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — Playa del Carmen recorded a historic minimum temperature of 9.8 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous record of 10 degrees set in 2013 and marking one of the lowest documented values for the Mexican Caribbean region, according to Civil Protection authorities.

The record was documented by the Climatology and Meteorology Department of Playa del Carmen’s Civil Protection office. Its head, meteorologist Luis Antonio Morales Ocaña, warned that current conditions pose a risk to the population, especially for those living near jungle areas where more severe temperature drops have occurred in recent days.

Morales Ocaña explained that the recorded temperatures already place civilians in a difficult situation because the cold intensifies in jungle areas, where the perceived temperature is even lower. He noted that the drop is considerably strong for a region accustomed to warm, humid climates for most of the year.

The meteorologist detailed that he has maintained continuous climate records for approximately 15 years and had not observed such low temperatures sustained over several consecutive days during that period. He specified that in previous years, cold fronts impacted the area in isolation, with the next system taking time to arrive, allowing for a gradual temperature recovery.

The current conditions are associated with the presence of cold front number 33, which extended over the area. Forecasts indicate that cold front number 34 will arrive in the coming hours, prolonging the thermal drop. According to the forecast, this phenomenon will not be limited to the typical coolness of the Caribbean Sea basin but will maintain an unusually cold environment for the region.

As a relevant precedent, Morales Ocaña recalled that last Monday, the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto recorded a minimum temperature of 4.2 degrees Celsius, the lowest documented in the entire state of Quintana Roo, according to climatological records maintained by his department.

Morales Ocaña indicated that these thermal anomalies could be related to atypical climate behavior, which might even lead to a delayed start of the hurricane season. Authorities continue to analyze this situation amid what he described as an unprecedented climatic scenario for the region.