At least 100 people have died in the past two weeks in Mexico due to the heat, as temperatures soared to nearly 50 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country, the Health Ministry said, as cited by Reuters.

A three-week heatwave this month tested the power grid through record demand, forced authorities to suspend classes in some areas and left many Mexicans virtually suffocating.

More than two-thirds of the deaths occurred during the week of June 18 to 24, with the rest in the previous week, the ministry’s report on extreme temperatures said. During the same period last year, only one heat-related death was recorded.

Almost all deaths were caused by heatstroke, and some were caused by dehydration. About 64% of the deaths occurred in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, on the border with Texas. Most of the others were reported in the neighboring states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz on the Gulf Coast.

Temperatures have dropped in recent days as the rainy season has brought much-needed rainfall.

However, some cities in the north still experience high temperatures. In the state of Sonora, the town of Acconchi recorded a high of 49 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.