Polar cold wave causes at least 16 deaths in the United States • El Nuevo Diario

The polar cold wave that has been installed since Tuesday in the northern United States and southern Canada has killed at least 16 people, CNN reported on Friday.

Most deaths were recorded in the Midwest, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Minnesota states, where thermometers were at historical levels, such as -30 degrees Celsius reached Thursday in Chicago.

Read: Is an extreme cold snap freezing part of the United States, is it because of climate change?

In addition to the dead, the polar storm has caused dozens of cases of freezing extremities, especially among the homeless.

Only one hospital in Chicago has treated about 50 people with frostbite symptoms and some will have amputations.

Also: a new cold front coming from Mexico will touch Guatemala

Road accidents are at the root of a significant number of deaths due to the poor condition of many roads covered with ice and snow.

Air transport has also been affected by poor weather conditions. This Thursday, 2,300 flights were canceled in the United States and this figure was reduced to 350, mainly flights from Chicago.

In Chicago, the temperature indicated by the thermometer today is -11 degrees Celsius, with a thermal sensation of -15 degrees. And meteorologists predict that the situation will improve rapidly in the coming hours to the point that tomorrow, Saturday, the thermometer will indicate 4 degrees Celsius.

Interest: Maintaining good nutrition is essential during the cold season

The US National Meteorological Service (NWS) has indicated on Twitter that a "great temperate trend will begin today and continue over the weekend".

But meteorologists have warned that after a few days of relief, the situation will worsen again in the middle of next week when a new mbad of polar air will affect the northern part of the center and from the west of the United States.

"The good news is that the weekend will be fantastic, the bad news is that the dark blue mbad of below-normal temperatures will be back next week," the NWS warned.