NASA warned Mexico of extreme widespread drought happening throughout the country, the worst in decades, and shared images from space to highlight the severity.
According to NASA, on April 15, 2021, nearly 85 percent of the country faces drought conditions and dams throughout Mexico are at “exceptionally low” levels, depleting resources for drinking, farming, and irrigation.
The images shared by NASA from space show the Villa Victoria dam (west of the State of Mexico), one of the main water supplies to Mexico City where the water level of March 27, 2020, is compared with March 30, 2021, and shows that water levels have dropped by about a third of their normal capacity.
“About 60 large dams, mainly in northern and central Mexico, are below 25 percent of their capacity,” NASA detailed in a statement. “Due to low supply, government administrators have reduced the flow of water from the reservoirs. Some inhabitants have run out of running water”.
From October 1, 2020, to April 18, 2021-during the dry season- the meteorological service reported that the country had 20 percent less rainfall than normal and several areas of Mexico reached temperatures above 35 degrees Celcius or 95 Fahrenheit.
According to NASA, the wet months of 2020 received scant rainfall due to La Niña. Unusually cold water from the eastern Pacific Ocean inhibits rain cloud formation and produces less precipitation over Mexico and the southern United States.
As La Niña decreases, forecasters expect warming waters to cause rain.
Experts expect the rains to start fully in June for Mexico.
“Mexico is approaching one of the worst widespread droughts on record,” NASA concluded, comparing conditions with the drought in 2011 and 1996.
