Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — With the arrival of winter and subsequent lower temperatures, Civil Protection has earmarked emergency shelters for cold weather use. More than a dozen shelters are ready around Playa del Carmen to be used by those who need protection from the cold.
The shelters earmarked are the same buildings used during hurricane season. Currently, they are not open but will be if needed, reported Darwin Covarrubias Góngora, municipal Civil Protection head.
He says in view of the arrival of low temperatures across the region, the Civil Protection Secretariat of Solidaridad has prepared 17 schools as shelters for possible use for those in vulnerable situations.
Covarrubias says the shelters will only be opened in case of extreme need in the event the thermometer drops considerably.
“We are monitoring the weather conditions in order to act in a timely manner and, if necessary, open the shelters,” Covarrubias said.
He acknowledged that in previous years, there have been cases of deaths of homeless people due to low temperatures and lack of adequate shelter. He says for this reason, municipal officials are hoping to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again.
Photo: Civil Protection
Civil Protection is working in a coordinated manner with other agencies to ensure a timely response in case it is necessary to activate these spaces. The anticyclone shelters, generally used during hurricane season, are adapted to offer temporary shelter to those who need it during the winter season. Nighttime temperatures of 13C (55F) have already been recorded this year in the municipality of Tulum.
There has been speculation that the Yucatan Peninsula could be in for a chillier than normal winter season. According to Alejandra Margarita Méndez Girón, the General Coordinator of the National Meteorological Service (SMN), during the 2024-2025 season, 48 U.S. cold fronts and seven winter storms are expected to hit Mexico. Mexico is currently facing Cold Front No. 15, a cold front forecast to hit the Yucatan Peninsula for Friday.
