As heatwave rages, some in Albuquerque can't avoid being outside

As the globe experiences its hottest days in recorded history, some locals have no choice but to brave the heat.

Tuesday, the global average temperature hit 62.9 degrees, the Associated Press reported. It was the hottest day in decades and likely centuries, and Wednesday could become the third straight day Earth unofficially marked a record-breaking high.

While 62.9 degrees may not seem hot, it’s 1.8 degrees hotter than the previous average from 1979 to 2000.

Locales across the United States are under heat advisory, including Albuquerque, which reached a high temperature of 99 degrees on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. It marked the hottest day of the year, a record that likely will not last for long. The rest of the week is looking just as toasty with highs ranging from 99 to 102 degrees.

The frequency of 100 degree days has been increasing, said Randall Hergert, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

'Heater box'

While many can retreat to air conditioned homes and offices, for construction workers the grind never stops.

Wednesday, off to the side of the Pat D'Arco Highway in Rio Rancho, construction workers in fluorescent green protective gear construct a self storage facility with the sun's rays beating down on them.

Field foreman Gilbert Pando compared the interior of the structure to a “heater box.”

“You could get heat exhaustion really quick out here,” Pando said.

Despite the conditions, construction workers are outdoors everyday, although they start their days earlier to try to beat the heat, Pando said.

“If we need to start coming in at 2 in the morning,” Pando said, “we're going to start at 2 in the morning.”

Workers are almost fully covered with protective gear, including sunglasses and visors and apply sunscreen anywhere the sun does hit their bodies. To keep heat exhaustion at bay, Pando said his crew is encouraged to take breaks as needed.

The crew was also provided with ice chests, cold water and fans.

In other states like Arizona, Pando said, workers get an hourly pay increase for working in sweltering weather, but no such benefit exists in New Mexico.

Alongside an arroyo near Alameda Boulevard, Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue cadets trained in rapid water rescue on Wednesday. With bright red helmets and life vests on, cadets descend two at a time — attached by ropes — into the arroyo.

“I don’t ever remember it getting this hot,” said Ruben Bustamante, an instructor with BCFR, “It’s like an oven.”

Looking for relief

The heat is also an immense stress for those experiencing homelessness.

Under an Interstate 40 overpass, Laurel Parenteau sat waiting for a bus, trying to keep cool in the shade. Having just left the hospital for sepsis, Parenteau still had a medical bracelet on her wrist and tape on her arm covering where an IV had been inserted.

“Heat on top of this is too much,” Parenteau said, “(I’m) just gonna try and bear it.”

Her companion, Kenneth Barour, a military veteran who carries a staff adorned with leather bands, turquoise-colored beads and an arrowhead, agreed.

“We look after one another,” Barour added.