Cancun, Q.R. — With the official arrival of Canícula, local doctors are reminding people to take additional precautions during the hottest 40 days of the year.
According to la Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, July 12 began the hottest period of the year for the Cancun, Riviera Maya region, a spell where daytime temperatures can reach 45 C (113 F). It is for this reason Cancun doctor, Javier Santoy, says diseases increase an average of 40 percent during these summer days.
He says most cases involve diarrhea, dehydration and heat stroke.
“I want to emphasize something. Also during this season, cases of typhoid and salmonella increase, however, they are not on the list of diseases that increase exponentially, but still, we have to be careful because every year the figures change, but we hope that the cases for which I mentioned do not go up since they are diseases that, if not treated in time, can lead to death,” he explained.
He says that these diseases increase due to lack of awareness or caution when it comes to food consumption, since in many cases, the food is already spoiled due to the heat. Dehydration is another common issue, he added.
“We receive approximately one case per day due to diarrhea or dehydration in the hospital, but when the days of Canícula start, we receive around four to five patients a day, which gives us a total of 200 during the 40 days. It is important to be hydrated and be attentive to the little ones and the elderly,” he noted.
Photo: Riviera Maya News
The National Meteorological Service says the heat that began July 12 will last it’s usual 40 days, ending around August 20 and can easily see temperatures soar into the mid-40s C with a thermal sensation near 50 C (122 F). It is also the time of year when the region sees the least amount of rainfall.
Conauga reports that areas typically affected by Canícula include Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla, State of Mexico, Morelos, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche , Yucatan and Quintana Roo.
According to forecasts, Canícula could last up to 60 days this year.