High heat events in Puerto Rico are frequent and prolonged

The heat wave that crossed the island this summer – an event Expected by experts And to him National Weather Service (SNM) San Juan- Puerto Rico Living Model of New Testament Due Climate change: Frequent and prolonged episodes of overheating.

Therefore, If you are wondering how long this heat will last on the island, the short, medium and long term answers are: According to SNM, until the beginning of next week; In the same seasons until September (when summer ends) and in subsequent years.

While there are simple factors that make people understand the reason for the high temperatures, there are components (some more complex than others) that are the main drivers for heat accumulation in the region.

The simplest one is the direction of the wind. Meteorologist Cecilia VillanuevaSomeone who works at SNM, these days there are more and more windy events from the south-southeast, which means more steam and hot air is moving over the island, which increases the heat sensation on the island.

The second factor Sahara dust This, combined with the direction of the wind from the south, makes the heat generated by the sun during the day less likely to dissipate at night, thus maintaining a higher temperature.

Meanwhile, the location of Puerto Rico is among the most complex factors (not too difficult to understand).

Doctor Pablo Mendes LazaroWho is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health Graduate Medical Science Campus Of (RCM) University of Puerto Rico (UPR) It has been scientifically proven that unlike the southern hemisphere, the northern hemisphere is warming the fastest.

In addition, he completed his studies in 2018 National Aviation and Space Administration (NASA in English) The second area with the highest temperatures is the tropics, which are responsible for the vapor that is released into the atmosphere.

Therefore, The location of Puerto Rico, located in the tropics of the Northern Hemisphere, places it in the region of high heat accumulation..

“At higher temperatures, more water evaporates from the oceans and forests, and plants evaporate more moisture into the atmosphere.

“Unfortunately, in the context of climate change, these will be the new rules: we are going to see and experience more and more of these extreme events. Hurricane, heat or dust from the Sahara. In this case, it has been hot lately,” he added.

Simultaneous serious events

Méndez Lázaro is also a member of the Caribbean faction Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5 in English), pointing out that the island affects more than 80% of the land area while at risk of heat. The time when the constant pulses of Sahara dust are recorded.

“This is a testament to how much we experience these simultaneous events. It is not tomorrow that we are getting ready for the sun and the Sahara dust and then drought the next day. No. We have to do it with multiple risk approaches and take care of everything at once.Recommended.

“Three months ago, it rained 11 inches in 36 hours in Do Baja and Catano. We go from end to end. We drown and then dry up. Lack of water, flood again. That’s what we’re heading towards,” he added.

With this in mind, the expert advised to pay particular attention to the pre-existing health conditions in the population, such as those over 65 years of age, people with diabetes and those with hypertension.

“Because it is so hot, we tell people to be careful and drink water. But there is no water. So, the hotter it gets, the more water evaporates, and when it’s hot, people drink more water … heat is an event that exacerbates drought. “He pointed out.

The professor also stressed the importance of working together as a community to develop practices to mitigate the impact of heat on the island, greening urban areas and increasing the high growth of buildings to increase high temperatures. .

“To give you an idea, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has included extreme heat in its disaster preparedness and response analysis. For the first time in history, Extreme heat is considered within FEMA programs. People are dying from the heat because of the heat in the state of Arizona. In the state of Texas, too, people are dying of heat because of the heat. We in Puerto Rico are not inhumane. When it’s hot in Puerto Rico, people die too, but we have to wait three years to access those figures. So we have to take action, ”Mendes Lazaro pointed out.