Scientists say global warming is exacerbating adverse weather, with many countries experiencing record high temperatures.
Over 1,000 heat-related emergencies were reported in Mexico between June 12 and 25, of which 104 resulted in deaths, according to health ministry figures released on Wednesday.
Authorities had already reported eight deaths between April 14 and May 31, bringing the total to 112.
The main cause was heat stroke, followed by dehydration, according to the health ministry.
Mexico's northern regions reported the most fatalities, with 64 deaths recorded in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon and 19 in neighboring Tamaulipas, bordering the US state of Texas, which has also been hit by extreme heat.
In Mexico, a maximum temperature of 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) was recorded this week in the northwestern state of Sonora, the health ministry said.
Average maximum temperatures in Mexico during the summer fluctuate between 30 and 45 degrees Celsius, it added.
Authorities warn that another heatwave could affect the country of 127 million people starting on July 1.
In May, the United Nations warned that it is near-certain that 2023-2027 will be the warmest five-year period ever recorded, as greenhouse gasses and El Nino combine to send temperatures soaring.
2,000 hajj pilgrims hit by heat stress: Saudi officials
Mecca, Saudi Arabia (AFP) June 29, 2023 -
More than 2,000 pilgrims have suffered heat stress during the hajj pilgrimage, Saudi officials said Thursday, after temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) during the annual rites.
Over 1.8 million people performed the days-long hajj, mostly held outdoors at the height of the Saudi desert summer. Many elderly were among the worshippers after a Covid-era maximum age limit was scrapped.
Saudi officials said about 1,700 heat stress cases were recorded on Thursday alone -- as huge numbers of pilgrims remain at the holy sites, a day after the main rituals finished -- added to the 287 reported earlier.
"The number of heat stress cases since the beginning of this day has reached 1,721," the Saudi health ministry said, urging people to stay out of the sun and drink plenty of water.
Officials did not provide a death toll but at least 30 people died during the pilgrimage, according to numbers announced by various countries which did not list causes of death.
Iran's oldest pilgrim this year, aged 114, died of a heart attack, the semi-official Fars news agency said, reporting 10 Iranian deaths.
Eight Algerians and four Moroccans died, officials said, while an Egyptian pro-government media outlet said eight pilgrims from the country had passed away.
Hundreds of people were treated for heart problems, including one 78-year-old Filipino man who had successful open-heart surgery in Mecca, the health ministry said.
The real figure for heat stress -- which includes heatstroke, exhaustion, cramps and rashes -- is probably far higher, as many sufferers were not admitted to hospitals or clinics.
People struggling in the heat was a common sight, especially after the day-long outdoor prayers at Mount Arafat where overheating phones shut down and shade was hard to find.
The hajj has a history of deadly catastrophes including stampedes and militant attacks, but this year's main challenge came from the extreme temperatures.
The kingdom dispatched thousands of paramedics and set up field hospitals to help contain the risks. It was the biggest hajj since 2.5 million visitors came in pre-Covid 2019.
The Gulf climate is so harsh that in 2021, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned parts of it could become uninhabitable by the end of the century due to global warming.
Maximum summer temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) could become an annual occurrence by the end of the century, experts say.
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