Drought-induced electricity blackouts and restrictions in both Mexico and Costa Rica.
In Mexico, the sweltering heat has led to temporary power outages across several areas. The capital, Mexico City, with its nine million residents, as well as the states of Mexico, Michoacán in the west, Tamaulipas in the northwest, and Campeche in the southeast, have all experienced these issues, as announced by the government. According to the Conagua National Water Commission, maximum temperatures of 48 degrees Celsius and higher were recorded in the regions of San Luis Potosí (northeast) and Tamaulipas.
As early as April this year, Mexico City saw temperatures hit 34.2 degrees Celsius - surpassing the previous high of 33.9°C set in 1998. The scorching heat in Mexico has caused water levels in the country's dams to fall significantly. Admitting to this problem, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador shared that "demand for electricity was higher than the capacity generated."
To further demonstrate the extent of this heatwave, several other Latin American nations have enforced restrictions on electricity or water usage. Ecuador, for instance, was forced to ration electricity for up to 13 hours daily for a two-week period due to a lack of water to generate electricity in its hydroelectric power plants. Meanwhile, Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, has restricted water usage. Panama even had to limit shipping traffic in the Panama Canal, while Costa Rica recently announced plans to ration electricity indefinitely due to a reliance on hydropower.
Approximately 99% of Costa Rica's electricity comes from renewable sources, primarily derived from hydropower plants. Expressing his concern, Berny Fallas, a climate expert from the country's main energy supplier ICE, stated, "We haven't witnessed such a drought in 50 years."
Meanwhile, in the southern region of Brazil, the region is facing torrential downpours, resulting in over 100 fatalities and an equal number of people still unaccounted for. The UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) revealed that environmental disasters in Latin America have spiked more than ever before in 2023 because of the climate phenomenon El Niño and human-induced climate change.
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- Despite facing similar challenges, Costa Rica, like Mexico, has been experiencing persistent power outages due to the dryness caused by drought, affecting its reliance on hydropower.
- The sweltering heat in Costa Rica has led to significant water level drops in its dams, echoing the situation in Mexico, making it difficult to generate electricity.
- The dryness and heat in Costa Rica have been so persistent that Berny Fallas, a climate expert from ICE, said it's the worst drought they've seen in 50 years, causing persistent power outages.
Source: www.ntv.de
