Leastings proceed

Interacting with AI chatbots like ChatGPT may be fun and sometimes useful, but the subsequent level of on a regular basis AI goes beyond answering questions: AI agents complete tasks for you.

Major technology corporations including OpenAI, Microsoft, Google And Salesforcehave recently published or announced plans to develop and release AI agents. They claim that these innovations will bring recent efficiencies to the technical and administrative processes that underlie systems in healthcare, robotics, gaming and other businesses.

Simple AI agents may be taught to reply to plain questions sent via email. More advanced travelers can book airline and hotel tickets for transcontinental business trips. Google recently demonstrated it Project Mariner for Reporters, a browser extension for Chrome that may analyze the text and pictures in your screen.

In the demonstration the agent helped plan a meal by adding items to a shopping cart on a grocery chain's website and even finding substitutions when certain ingredients were unavailable. An individual still must be involved to finish the acquisition, however the broker may be instructed to take all of the obligatory steps as much as that time.

In a way, you might be an agent. You react to the stuff you see, hear, and feel in your world each day. But what exactly is an AI agent? As Computer scientistI offer this definition: AI agents are technological tools that may learn rather a lot about a specific environment after which – with a couple of easy prompts from a human – work to resolve problems or perform specific tasks in that environment.

Rules and goals

A wise thermostat is an example of a quite simple treatment. His ability to perceive his surroundings is restricted to a thermometer that shows him the temperature. When the temperature in a room drops below a certain level, the smart thermostat responds by increasing the heating.

A well known predecessor of today's AI agents is the Roomba. For example, the robot vacuum cleaner learns the form of a carpeted lounge and the way much dirt is on the carpet. Action is then taken based on this information. After a couple of minutes the carpet is clean.

The smart thermostat is an example of what AI researchers call a easy reflex agent. It makes decisions, but those decisions are easy and based only on what the agent perceives at that moment. The vacuum robot is a goal-oriented agent with a single goal: cleansing all the ground it could possibly reach. The decisions it makes – when to show around, when to boost or lower the brushes, when to return to the charging station – all serve this goal.

A goal-oriented agent is successful solely by achieving its goal by any means obligatory. However, goals may be achieved in quite a lot of ways, a few of which could also be roughly desirable than others.

Many of today’s AI agents are Utility basedwhich suggests they think more about tips on how to achieve their goals. They weigh the risks and advantages of every possible approach before deciding tips on how to proceed. They are also able to think about conflicting goals and choose which goal is more vital to attain. They transcend goal-oriented agents by choosing actions that keep in mind their users' individual preferences.

Make decisions, take actions

When tech corporations discuss AI agents, they don't mean chatbots or large language models like ChatGPT. Although chatbots that provide basic customer support on a web site are technically AI agents, their perceptions and actions are limited. Chatbot agents can perceive the words a user types, however the only motion they will take is to reply with text that can hopefully provide the user with an accurate or informative answer.

The AI ​​agents that AI corporations are referring to represent a big advance over large language models like ChatGPT because they’ve the power to take motion on behalf of the people and firms that use them.

According to OpenAI, agents will soon change into tools for people or corporations run independently over days or even weeks without the necessity to ascertain progress or results. researchers at OpenAI And Google DeepMind Let's say agents are one other step along the way in which Artificial general intelligence or “strong” AI – that’s, AI that surpasses human capabilities in quite a lot of areas and tasks.

The AI ​​systems that folks use today are taken under consideration narrow AI or “weak” AI. A system might be competent in a single area – perhaps chess – but when it were thrown right into a game of checkers, that very same AI would don’t know tips on how to function because its skills wouldn't transfer. An artificial general intelligence system can be higher in a position to transfer its capabilities from one domain to a different, even when it had never seen the brand new domain before.

Is the danger price it?

Are AI agents able to revolutionize the way in which people work? This will rely on whether technology corporations can exhibit that their agents are capable not only of completing the tasks assigned to them, but additionally of overcoming recent challenges and unexpected obstacles as they arise.

The adoption of AI agents also is dependent upon people's willingness to offer them access to potentially sensitive data: depending on what you would like your agent to do, it may have access to your web browser, email, calendar, and others Apps or systems are relevant for a particular task. As these tools change into more widely used, people have to take into consideration how much of their data they wish to share with them.

A breach of an AI agent's system could end in sensitive details about your life and funds being leaked fall into the fallacious hands. Are you okay with taking these risks if it could possibly save you’re employed for agents?

What happens if AI agents make a foul decision or make a call that the user wouldn't agree with? Currently, AI agent developers are keeping people informed and ensuring they’ve the chance to review an agent's work before final decisions are made. In the Project Mariner example, Google doesn't let the agent Make the ultimate purchase or accept the web site terms and conditions. By keeping you informed, the systems provide you with the power to back out of agent decisions that you simply don't approve of.

Like another AI system, an AI agent is subject to biases. This Prejudices can arise the information on which the agent is initially trained, the algorithm itself, or the way in which the agent's output is used. Keeping people informed is one solution to reduce bias by ensuring that decisions are vetted by people before implementation.

The answers to those questions will likely determine how popular AI agents change into and can rely on the extent to which AI corporations can improve their agents once people start using them.

OAKLANDHundreds of Pacific Gas & Electric customers in Walnut Creek and Oakland Power outages reported On Sunday afternoon, the October heat wave soared above 100 degrees in parts of the East Bay.

The PG&E outages affected customers within the Northgate and Diablo Shadows neighborhoods of Walnut Creek, west of Mount Diablo State Park, and the hilly Montclair neighborhood of Oakland. Power is anticipated to be restored in Montclair at 8:30 p.m. Sunday and in Walnut Creek at 10 p.m.

Early last weekPG&E had warned customers in 11 counties, including Alameda and Contra Costa, of possible planned shutdowns this week resulting from gusty winds that increased the chance of fires. Alameda and Contra Costa counties were later faraway from the list of counties that might be affected by the ability outages.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures on Sunday reached highs of 94 degrees in Oakland and San Francisco, 97 degrees in Fremont, 98 degrees in Walnut Creek and Lafayette and 99 degrees in San Jose and Danville.

An excessive heat warning is in effect for much of the Bay Area until 11 p.m. tonight.

Originally published: October 6, 2024 at 6:07 p.m

For a lot of the summer, COVID levels were high in California and the Bay Area.

According to a Friday update from the California Department of Public Health, the test positivity rate rose to 14.3%, up greater than two percentage points from the previous week. That's the best positivity rate in a 12 months.

After a three-month increase, the positivity rate is rapidly approaching the record high for a summer surge – 16% in July 2022.

While test data is not any longer available on the local level, Wastewater shows that the virus has been spreading on a big scale for several weeksAll 4 wastewater basins – Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, San Jose and Gilroy – have “high” concentrations.

High concentrations of the virus are also present in wastewater in Contra Costa County. The county health department urged residents this week to wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces“especially for those who are at high risk of severe illness if infected.”

“Face masks are an effective way to help contain the spread of the virus,” Dr. Ori Tzvieli, Contra Costa County's health officer, said in an announcement. “This is one of those moments. Our health care system is not currently seriously impacted by COVID, and our goal is to keep it that way.”

Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases and vaccinology at UC Berkeley, considers Contra Costa Health’s advice to be “excellent advice.”

“There are still too many people being hospitalized and too many people dying,” Swartzberg said, noting that the annual variety of COVID deaths still exceeds the variety of deaths during a standard flu season.

Contra Costa Health attributes the present, sustained increase to the FLiRT variants, that are currently spreading within the west of the country and are described as “particularly contagious.”

“We didn't have a long break from the winter wave,” Swartzberg said. He also attributes the persistent rise of the virus this spring and summer to the present series of variants. “The Omicron subvariants continue to create new subvariants that are more transmissible and immunocompromising.”

Originally published: August 9, 2024 at 16:00

From coast to coast, tens of millions of Americans are experiencing sweltering temperatures this summer, with little relief in sight. For individuals who can't afford or don't need air-con, the rising need for cooling is becoming an ever-increasing crisis.

An alarming variety of Americans are vulnerable to losing access to utility services because they can’t pay their bills. Energy Utilities in 2022 disconnect no less than 3 million customers from the electricity grid who had not paid a bill. Over 30% of those interruptions occurred within the three summer months, in a 12 months that amongst the most popular since weather records began.

In some cases, the outage lasted only a couple of hours. In other cases, people were without power for days or even weeks and needed to desperately try to boost enough money to revive the service. Often, nevertheless, their power was then cut off again.

As researchers who study Energy justice and energy insecuritywe consider the United States is within the midst of an influence shutoff crisis. We have begun tracking these power shutoffs at each utility across the country, and we consider the crisis will only worsen because the impacts of climate change develop into more widespread and severe.

We consider it’s time for presidency agencies and utilities to think about household energy security as a national priority.

One in 4 households is affected by energy insecurity

Americans tend to think about power outages as something rare and temporary. For most, it's a rare inconvenience attributable to a heat wave or storm.

But for tens of millions of US households, the specter of an influence outage is a relentless worry. According to the most recent data from the US Energy Information Administration, 1 in 4 American households face some type of energy insecurity yearly, no noticeable improvement over the past decade.

Many low-income households are vulnerable to power cuts repeats month after monthIn a recent study, we found that over the course of a single 12 months half of all households whose electricity was turned off needed to take care of multiple power cuts because that they had difficulty paying their bills.

Such energy uncertainty is especially common amongst low-income AmericansPeople of color, families with young children, individuals who depend on electronic medical devices, or people living in poor housing. In the primary 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that Black and Hispanic households were three and 4 times more more likely to experience utility outages than white households.

In addition to existing financial constraints, people in lots of areas are facing rising electricity prices, rising inflation and better temperatures that require cooling. Some are also facing a history of redlining and poor urban planning that has led to certain populations living in less efficient homes. Taken together, the crisis is clear.

Coping strategies can endanger health

We found that over half of all low-income households apply some coping strategiesand most of them find that they need multiple strategies at the identical time.

To lower your expenses, they turn off the air-con in the summertime, allowing the heater to succeed in uncomfortable and potentially dangerous temperatures. Or they forgo food or medicine to pay their energy bills, or they strategically pay one bill as a substitute of one other, a process often called “bill balancing.” Others resort to short-term loans that temporarily help them but ultimately push them deeper into debt. Our research finds that essentially the most common coping strategies are also the riskiest.

If people fall behind on their bills, there’s a risk that their electricity provider will cut off their connection.

The failure of critical energy services can mean that the people affected cannot Houses cool – or warm within the winter months – or food kept cool all 12 months round. Barriers can mean that folks with illnesses or disabilities cannot keep medicines cool or medical devices chargedAnd in times of maximum cold or heat, the failure of energy supplies can fatal consequences.

Where shutdown rates are highest

Our research team developed the Utility disruption dashboardby recording disruptions to utility services wherever data is obtainable.

In recent years, a growing variety of states have required regulated utilities across the country to reveal the number of consumers they disconnect. However, state regulations apply only to the utilities they regulate. Public utilities and cooperatives, which serve over 20% of U.S. electricity customers, are sometimes not included, creating massive gaps in understanding the total extent of the issue.

The Data now we have shows that shutoff rates skyrocket through the summer months and are typically highest within the Southeast. Large, investor-owned utilities in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Indiana have average shutoff rates of nearly 1% of consumers, and a few municipal utilities have had even higher rates.

Only 23 states restrict summer shutdowns

State utility commissions set certain limits on the circumstances under which utilities can disconnect customers, but summer heat is commonly neglected.

Except for a handful of states, utility firms limit the disconnection of consumers through the winter months or on extremely cold days. For most, no less than some medical exceptions apply.

But greater than half of the states set no limits within the event of supply interruptions through the summer months or on very popular days.

Only 23 states and the District of Columbia have such summer protections, which generally consist of setting periods or temperatures during which customers can’t be disconnected from their service. Virginia is the most recent state to adopt such a policyThe protective measures will come into force on 1 July 2024.

We consider that within the era of climate change, it’s unsustainable for states to forgo temperature protection measures as increasingly parts of the country are expected to experience increasing numbers of days of maximum heat.

These government measures provide a basis of protection. We have learned through the COVID-19 pandemicMoratoriums that prohibit interruptions to public utilities will help reduce energy insecurity.

But these policies vary greatly from country to country, and details about consumer protection are sometimes difficult for people to seek out and understand.

Better rules and a brand new way of occupied with the correct to energy

We consider the United States needs stronger consumer protections. States, if not the federal government, need to higher disclose when and where disconnections occur to discover any systemic biases.

Most importantly, we consider Americans need a collective rethinking of energy access. That should start with the principle that every one people must have access to essential energy services and that utilities should only interrupt service to their customers as a final resort, especially during health-threatening weather events.

The country cannot wait for deadly heat waves to prove the importance of protecting American homes.

This is an update of an article originally published on July 5, 2023.

After a gloriously warm Sunday across the Bay Area, temperatures will slowly rise on Monday, reaching a 10-degree jump by Tuesday morning, bringing sweltering heat to much of the region on Independence Day and thru the remaining of the week.

The National Weather Service has issued an “Extreme Heat Warning” for much of the Bay Area from Tuesday morning through 11 p.m. Friday, with the warning focused on hills and inland areas.

“It will stay hot for a very long time,” said weather service meteorologist Nicole Sarment. “The most important thing is that it will not just be a one-day event. We are talking about six, seven days.”

PG&E also issued a notice that safety-related power outages are “likely” to occur in certain parts of Solano and Napa counties on Tuesday as a consequence of heat, dry conditions and high winds. Other counties facing power outages include Glenn, Colusa and Lake. The weather service also issued a fireplace warning for parts of the northwest Sacramento Valley and adjoining foothills between Tuesday morning and Tuesday evening, as gusty winds and low humidity might be expected.

So far, the forecast of excessive heat has not prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue the Spare the Air alert this week. However, air quality is anticipated to be within the moderate range between 50 and 100 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) through Thursday. That means people who find themselves unusually sensitive to air quality should consider limiting their time outdoors.

Highs of 110, 108, 107 and 106 degrees are expected in Concord, Brentwood, Livermore and Walnut Creek on Tuesday, with daytime highs in those cities more likely to remain above 100 degrees at the least through July 4. Daytime temperatures in San Jose could reach 100 degrees this week, with highs of 102 degrees expected in Morgan Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The extreme heat poses a fireplace risk. Weather Service meteorologist Rachel Kennedy also said authorities are warning people to not set off fireworks on July 4.

Cities along the coast and the San Francisco Bay area won't be quite as hot, and are under a “heat warning” relatively than an “excessive heat warning.” Berkeley and Oakland are expected to see temperatures of a comparatively mild 80 degrees this week, but San Mateo, Palo Alto and San Leandro are expected to be hotter, with daytime highs within the 80s.

The heat should ease somewhat in coastal areas, with temperatures above 25 degrees expected in Half Moon Bay this week. However, temperatures in Santa Cruz could rise to above 28 degrees starting Tuesday and on July 4. Kennedy said if there’s a cooling marine layer along the coast this week, it must be “pretty shallow.”

For people in cities under an extreme heat warning, the NWS has raised concerns concerning the “life-threatening effects” of heat-related illnesses that may occur when individuals are exposed to extreme heat for several days.

The weather service said in its forecast that individuals should view this “ongoing heat wave” as “a marathon, not a sprint” with regards to taking steps to attenuate its impacts.

“This affects not only heat-sensitive individuals, but the entire population,” the NWS said. “Heat over such a long period of time and at these temperatures can be dangerous for anyone.”

What makes this heat wave particularly intense is that individuals shouldn't expect overnight temperatures to offer them much relief, Kennedy said. Starting Tuesday and Wednesday, temperatures within the mountains and inland could possibly be within the low 70s and high 80s overnight, she said. The effects of the warmth might be magnified if it doesn't cool down overnight, which might result in rising baseline temperatures the subsequent morning, Sarment also said.

When an extreme heat warning or alert is in place, the weather service advises people not to have interaction in outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and seven p.m. They should definitely activate the air-con in the event that they have it. If they don't have it, they need to spend a while in air-conditioned environments, similar to stores, movie theaters, libraries, restaurants or cold storage.

The weather service also advises people to drink loads of fluids and to contact relatives and neighbors who’re in danger. Children and pets shouldn’t be left unattended in cars, as temperatures there can quickly turn into fatal.

Kennedy said the recent weather is affecting much of California. Death Valley was already sweltering with temperatures reaching 48 degrees on Sunday night. Death Valley, often considered the most popular place on earth, is anticipated to see temperatures as high as 49 degrees on Tuesday and as high as 59 degrees on July 4. The record in Death Valley is alleged to be 56 degrees and was recorded in 1913, although that record is disputed. In 2020 and 2021, temperatures of 54 degrees were recorded within the national park.

It could possibly be cooler on Saturday, but temperatures are expected to stay above normal next weekend, Kennedy said. The weather service will review its forecast throughout the week to find out whether the warmth warning must be prolonged, she said.

DEAR MRS MANNERS: When does a “goodbye” end? When do you’ve got to wave after saying goodbye and for the way long?

When guests leave our home and we are saying goodbye on the door, do we’ve got to face there and wave and shout more goodbyes as they get into their automotive, in order not to shut the door behind them and possibly appear like we're glad they're gone? Do we’ve got to wave as they drive away, or can we start putting the dishes within the dishwasher?

What if guests leave after an prolonged stick with us? Do I actually have to face and wave until they’re out of sight, as some relations expect?

Do we (or the children) must wave out the back window until we're across the corner if we're those leaving?

It seems rude to show away from people who find themselves waving or watching, but in each of those scenarios, we've already said a fond goodbye. When can we just turn away and do what we’d like to do next?

DEAR READER: Still there? Ah. Well, the reply is that after you say goodbye properly, you possibly can leave, turn around, do the dishes, go to bed, whatever.

But you should be determined. If you linger on the window – and even peek through the blinds – then Miss Manners admits that you should still greet your departing guests.

DEAR MRS MANNERS: When you stay at someone's house, do you have to flush the bathroom in the course of the night? Does it matter if the bedroom doors are all closed or not? I sometimes must go several times.

DEAR READER: This is undoubtedly an extended time to take into consideration – thin partitions, noise, light sleepers, a disease that Miss Manners has never heard of and would love someone to inform her about. But as we might all prefer to sleep again, she’s going to hasten to guarantee you you could flush after each use.

DEAR MRS MANNERS: Four couples exit to dinner and are all sitting at a table. One of the boys has impeccable manners, the opposite three somewhat less so.

The man with manners' partner excuses herself from the table, and the person doesn’t rise up to assist her to the chair, nor does he help her when she returns.

DEAR READER: Good try. Miss Manners is in your wife's side. You must have shown your excellent manners (in the event you say so yourself), which cannot reasonably be construed as criticism of anyone else.

Among the numerous Allied military units Storming the coast of Normandy on June 6, 1944, was the sixteenth Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division. Its members faced a very daunting task: As a part of the primary wave of the most important amphibious assault in history, the regiment was tasked with clearing the Omaha Beach landing sectors, codenamed “Easy Red” and “Fox Green.”

This was no unusual attack. Omaha became the essentially the most dangerous of the five D-Day landing beacheswhen the US, Great Britain and their allies attacked Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The liberation of Europe was at stake.

As the members of the regiment sat together for a steak dinner the night before the invasion, they were little doubt reflecting on their unit's legacy. Military and oral historianI researched the service of this particular regiment in Vietnam and was also fascinated by its earlier history.

The sixteenth Infantry Regiment had fought within the Indian Warshunted the Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa, fought within the Battle of San Juan Hill This made Theodore Roosevelt a national hero, and greeted the commander of the War of Independence, Marquis de Lafayette at his grave in Paris when the USA entered World War I. By D-Day, the regiment had already participated in World War II Invasions in North Africa and Italy within the years 1942 and 1943.

The regiment was so popular with the American public that when writer F. Scott Fitzgerald created his infamous antihero Jay Gatsby in 1925’s The Great Gatsby, he portrayed the title character as Veteran of the sixteenth Infantry Regiment.

The steak dinner on the evening before D-Day, Charles Hangsterferthen captain within the sixteenth Regiment, was “just as they would a convicted murderer his last meal on the night of his execution.”

A dangerous attack

The invasion plan called for heavy bombardment by warships and aircraft to weaken the German defenses and to make use of amphibious tanks that would travel through shallow waters and on land to help the infantry in reaching the beaches.

But as dawn broke on June 6, 1944, bad weather intervened. Low clouds caused many of the bombing to miss its targets. Rough seas—swells between 3 and 6 feet and winds of 25 miles per hour—washed over many of the tanks.

The troops themselves were Seasickness resulting from pitching and rolling the small boats they used to achieve the beaches from larger ships off the coast, and upon landing they found that they arrived later than expected and were often removed from their planned destination.

Ted Lombarski, a sergeant in F Company of the sixteenth Regiment, recalled:

“We were the first wave to reach the beachCompanies E and F of the 16th Infantry Regiment. Almost all the tanks that had penetrated before us were sunk. The tank crews had a hard time, as did the Marine personnel who drove us in. … When we penetrated, we knew that the Luftwaffe had dropped its bombs too far inland and that the Marine artillery bombardment had done the same. The first wave of the attack went through hell that day.”

As they approached Omaha Beach, the lads of the sixteenth Infantry Regiment were hit by a wall of enemy fire. The bullets and shrapnel left the ocean appears to be boilingin keeping with an oral tradition of the regiment.

The landing craft didn’t get as far toward the coast because the soldiers had hoped, Captain Everett Booth recalled:

“They didn't get us very close to the beach, I can tell you that. … We ran into the water, which was about chest deep. We were met by machine gun bullets hitting the water everywhere. … The enemy riddled the beach with machine gun fire.”

And Lombarski reported:

“Being in the primary wave was the best way to commit suicide. If you place yourself at risk, you were dead.”

Laden with weapons, ammunition, equipment and heavy baggage, many soldiers were overwhelmed by the ocean and drowned. Those who made it to the beach faced the 352nd Infantry Division the Nazi Army, a unit with significant combat experience against the Soviets in Eastern Europe.

High losses

Despite heavy casualties and robust German defenses, because the day progressed it became clear that the sixteenth Infantry Regiment had gained a foothold on Omaha Beach. The soldiers fought their way through concrete and wood obstacles that the Nazis had erected on the beach, destroyed machine gun emplacements and step by step drove enemy troops from key positions.

There was no shortage of heroes that day—there have been almost too many to count. Two of the 4 Congressional Medals of Honor awarded for the exploits of June 6 went to men of the sixteenth Regiment. Earlier that morning 1st Lt. Jimmie Montieth He was exposed to enemy fire several times, including Leading tanks through a minefieldHe led his troops away from the beach and arranged the varied corporations to carry the enemy positions that the sixteenth had captured. Only just a few hours later he was killed in a German counterattack.

Technician fifth Class John Pinder Jr.Although wounded several times, he made several forays into the fire-soaked surf to retrieve communications equipment and helped establish radio contact along with his commanders offshore before succumbing to his injuries.

They were among the many almost 1,000 victims of the sixteenth Infantry Regiment were killed, wounded or missing on D-Day. Despite these heavy losses – a few third of the unit’s troops – the regiment’s relentless attack began break through the German defenseThis allowed the next troops to advance further inland. Victory was not guaranteed, nevertheless it was close by.

Their courage and sacrifice were honored in a ceremony on July 2, 1944, in a Castle 15 miles inland from the beach. The regiment had a Presidential Unit Quote for its role within the invasion. During the presentation, Allied commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower told the regiment:

“I is not going to give an extended speech, but this easy little ceremony gives me the chance to come back here and say thank you thru you. You are among the best regiments in our army“I have known your achievements since the day you landed in North Africa and over Sicily. I am beginning to believe that your regiment is a kind of Praetorian Guard that accompanies me and brings me luck.”

MEXICO CITY – It's so hot in Mexico that howler monkeys are falling dead from trees.

At least 83 of the medium-sized primates known for his or her roaring calls have been found dead within the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. Others were rescued by local residents, including five who were taken to a neighborhood vet who fought to avoid wasting them.

“They arrived in critical condition, with dehydration and fever,” said Dr. Sergio Valenzuela. “They were limp like rags. It was heat stroke.”

While Mexico's brutal heat wave since March has been linked to the deaths of at the least 26 people, veterinarians and rescuers say it has killed dozens, maybe even tons of, of howler monkeys.

In the town of Tecolutilla, Tabasco, the primary dead monkeys appeared on Friday when a volunteer fire and rescue team arrived with five of the animals behind a truck.

Howler monkeys are often quite intimidating, muscular and may grow as much as 60 centimeters tall, with tails just as long. They are equipped with large jaws and fearsome teeth and fangs. But most of all, they’re known for his or her lion-like roar, which doesn’t reflect their size.

“They (the volunteers) asked for help, they asked if I could examine some of the animals they had in their truck,” Valenzuela said Monday. “They said they didn't have any money and asked if I could do it for free.”

The vet puts ice on her limp little hands and feet and hooks her as much as IV fluids of electrolytes.

So far, the monkeys seem like on the mend. Once listless and straightforward to handle, they are actually in cages in Valenzuela's office. “They're recovering. They're aggressive… they're biting again,” he said, noting that this can be a healthy sign for the normally stealthy creatures.

Most aren’t so lucky. Wildlife biologist Gilberto Pozo counted about 83 of the dead or dying animals on the bottom under trees. The die-off began around May 5 and peaked over the weekend.

“They fell like apples from trees,” Pozo said. “They were severely dehydrated and died within minutes.” Already weakened, Pozo says falls from dozens of meters cause additional damage, often killing the monkeys.

Pozo attributes the deaths to a “synergy” of things, including intense heat, drought, wildfires and deforestation, that deprive the monkeys of water, shade and the fruits they eat.

For the people of the steamy, swampy, jungle-covered state of Tabasco, the howler monkey is a treasured, symbolic species; Locals say the monkeys tell them the time of day by howling at dawn and dusk.

Pozo said local people – whom he knows through his work with the group Biodiversity Conservation of The Usumacinta – have tried to assist the monkeys they see on their farms. But he notes that could possibly be a double-edged sword.

“They fell from the trees and people were moved and they went to help the animals, they provided water and fruit for them,” Pozo said. “They want to take care of them, especially the baby monkeys, and adopt them.”

“But no, the truth is that babies are very delicate, they cannot be in a house where there are dogs or cats because they carry pathogens that can be potentially fatal to howler monkeys,” he said, stressing that they need to be rehabilitated and released into the wild.

Pozo's group has arrange a special sanctuary for monkeys – it currently houses five monkeys, but birds and reptiles are also affected – and is attempting to assemble a team of specialised veterinarians to offer the primates the care they need.

The federal government belatedly acknowledged the issue on Monday, when President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he had heard about it on social media. He congratulated Valenzuela on his efforts and said the federal government would attempt to support the work.

López Obrador acknowledged the warmth problem – “I've never felt it so bad” – but he also faces many human problems.

As of May 9, at the least nine cities in Mexico had set temperature records, with Ciudad Victoria within the border state of Tamaulipas reaching a blistering 117 F (47 C).

With below-average rainfall across much of the country thus far this 12 months, lakes and dams are drying up, water supplies are running low and authorities have needed to truck in water for everybody from hospitals to firefighters. Low water levels at dams have led to power outages in some parts of the country.

Consumers are also feeling the pressure. On Monday, the national supermarket chain OXXO – the biggest within the country – announced that it could limit the acquisition of ice cream to simply two or three bags per customer in some stores.

“In times of high temperatures, OXXO is taking measures to ensure product supplies to our customers,” parent company FEMSA said in an announcement. “Restrictions on the sale of packaged ice cream are intended to ensure that a larger number of customers can purchase this product.”

But for the monkeys it's not about comfort, but about life or death.

“This is a sentinel species,” Pozo said, referring to the canary-in-the-coal-mine effect through which one species can say so much about an ecosystem. “It tells us something about what’s happening with climate change.”