**High Temperatures Cause Blackouts in Various Neighborhoods of Tijuana**
Over the past weekend, Tijuana experienced soaring temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius, leading to widespread power outages in various parts of the city. This situation was confirmed by Miguel Ángel Ceballos Ramírez, the head of the Municipal Civil Protection Directorate.
“The weekend saw a significant number of power cuts in the city due to transformer overloads. In some areas, we had power system failures for a few hours […] people using fans and air conditioners overloaded the system,” stated Ceballos Ramírez.
The heatwave continued into Monday, with temperatures reaching up to 34 degrees Celsius, exacerbating the power supply issues. The areas primarily affected included Otay, Playas de Tijuana, and the Madero neighborhood, also known as “Cacho.”
Residents from other neighborhoods such as Natura, Jardines de Agua Caliente, Sánchez Taboada, Buenavista, 20 de Noviembre, Cachanillas, El Dorado, El Florido, and Lomas Verdes took to social media to voice their complaints about the ongoing power disruptions. These outages also caused traffic congestion due to non-functional traffic lights along Federico Benítez and Gustavo Díaz Ordaz boulevards.
Due to the high volume of outage reports, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) could not provide an estimated time to restore power, as informed by affected residents who called the emergency hotline.
In response to the soaring temperatures, several private schools and the Lázaro Cárdenas Federal Preparatory School suspended in-person classes to avoid exposing students to the intense heat and due to inadequate electrical infrastructure. Students were transitioned to online classes as a precaution.
Ceballos Ramírez emphasized the importance of not leaving people or pets inside vehicles without ventilation and advised keeping windows open to avoid heat accumulation indoors. He also stressed the importance of staying hydrated and being prepared for potential fires by having smoke detectors and fire extinguishers on hand.
He predicted that Tuesday’s temperatures would drop to around 29 degrees Celsius, with further decrease to 24-25 degrees expected by Wednesday.
**More News on the Heatwave in Tijuana**
In addition to causing blackouts, the heatwave has significantly impacted other aspects of life in Tijuana. Authorities have reported a surge in water consumption by 10%, affecting water levels in tanks across Natura, La Obrera, Cerro Colorado, and Panamericano areas.
Moreover, the extreme heat has led to a 42% increase in forest fires during the summer season. Firefighters have had to ramp up local coordination to manage the increasing number of fire-related incidents over recent weeks.
The air quality in Tijuana has also deteriorated due to these forest fires, which has prompted officials to consider issuing alert notifications.
Furthermore, the ongoing heatwave has raised concerns about the lack of adequate infrastructure for distance learning in the coastal region, highlighting the need for better preparedness in the face of extreme weather conditions.
As temperatures might continue to stay high, officials are evaluating the possibility of continuing remote classes if the heat persists, to ensure the safety and well-being of students.
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