Tijuana suspends school classes due to extreme heat and utility outages

Authorities in Tijuana, Baja California, have suspended in-person classes for all educational levels in public schools due to extreme heat and utility disruptions. Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda announced that the suspension applies to the afternoon shift on Tuesday, October 6, and covers all shifts on Wednesday, October 7.

Temperatures in the city have reached between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius, which is unusually high for October. The decision was driven by the lack of adequate infrastructure in many schools to protect students from the heat. Furthermore, increased energy demand has caused power outages across more than 100 neighborhoods, which in turn has disrupted water pumping systems and led to water shortages in several residential areas.

While public schools are subject to the mandatory suspension, private institutions have been granted the discretion to decide whether to suspend activities, move to remote learning, or continue operations normally. Some institutions, including faculties of the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, had already transitioned to virtual modalities prior to the official announcement.