Meteorologists have for the first time issued a heat advisory for the entire island of Puerto Rico as it struggles with chronic power outages.
FILE - Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority workers repair distribution lines damaged by Hurricane Maria in the Cantera community of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Oct. 19, 2017. The private operator of Puerto Ricos power grid confirmed Monday, June 24, 2024, the deferral of $65 million worth of maintenance and improvement projects in the U.S. territory, with some repairs postponed for at least a year because of budget constraints.
Ernesto Morales, warning coordination meteorologist with the San Juan National Weather Service, told The Associated Press that while the entire island has met heat advisory criteria before, this is the first time it has been issued island-wide. “Just like hurricane or flood warnings, we want the public to make decisions taking these advisories into account,” Morales said. He noted that climate change and warming waters are contributing to the island’s oppressive heat.The dense layer of Saharan dust — composed of mineral dust from West Africa — moving across Puerto Rico and the Atlantic on Tuesday is making the heat worse. The dust particles are considered a health hazard, especially for those with allergies or weakened immune systems.
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