The effects of the heat wave that has swept Latin America since the beginning of the year have been seen in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The temperature recorded there rose to a record high of 62.3 degrees Celsius. But on the other hand, just the opposite. Rain is predicted in the south of the country.
“Avoid spending a lot of time in the sun. In the west, Rio’s municipal alert system issued a warning to “hydrate yourself!” following a record-breaking 60.1 degrees Celsius the day before. Such measurements were first made in 2014.
Of Rio’s six million residents, over 40% live in impoverished, isolated, and underserved areas in the western part of the city.
Even in the residential area of the Botanical Garden in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro, where there are many plants and where the perceived temperature increased to 57.7 ยฐC on Sunday, the real temperature only reached a maximum of 42 ยฐC.
In a central park, 49-year-old Rio resident Raquel Correa told AFP, “We have to do something, but we are trying to protect ourselves, to go to more open places with the sea.”
Raquel Correa additionally said “I’m very afraid that it will get worse, because the population is increasing and the deforestation is very significant due to the increase in the number of housing units”.
March’s highest temperature
With a population twice as large as Rio de Janeiro (more than 12 million), Sao Paulo is the largest city in South America. On Saturday, the temperature reached 34.7ยฐ vs. Since the Brazilian National Meteorological Institute (INMET) began recording temperatures in March 1943, this is the highest March temperature to date. A small respite was felt on Sunday when the temperature reached 34, 3 degrees Celsius, the previous record. March data from 2012.
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Flood forecast in the south
On the one hand, extreme heat and temperature peaks; on the other hand, in the south of Brazil, this week, the country’s authorities have threatened extreme rain.
The country’s meteorological information agency, Metsul, warned on Sunday that there would be a high risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in south-central Brazil.
Metsool added that a very strong cold front that will bring significant rain possibly even storms is the most concerning system.
The state of Rio Grande do Sul is experiencing “exceptionally high” rainfall in certain places. The worst-hit city in the state, Uruguayana, saw pictures of half-flooded buses and flooded roadways circulated.
Experts attribute the El Niรฑo phenomenon, which affects the Southern Cone of Latin America in the middle of summer and causes wildfires in Chile, and climate change to these extreme events and meteorological instability.
In comparison to 1850โ1900, the current climate has already warmed by roughly 1.2ยฐC, which has increased the frequency of heat waves, floods, and droughts.
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source: AFP and Hindentimes
