Heat wave hits Brazil in middle of winter

Brazil might be in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere's winter, but it is experiencing a heat wave. Sao Paulo, the largest city in Latin America, is close to breaking temperature records for August and 2023.

The 11.5 million citizens of Sao Paulo are shocked by the temperatures, as they reached almost 10 degrees above the monthly average of 24.5 degrees Celsius, the National Institute of Meteorology reported (Inmet). On Wednesday (Aug 23), the temperature hit a high of 32.3 degrees Celsius.

The city reached nearly the same temperature on January 16, during the summer season. The last time this happened was in 1955 when the city recorded 33.1 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature for the month of August.

Inmet has been gauging the weather since 1943. They warned that the rising temperatures in Brazil might break the historical records for August and 2023 on Thursday. "In the future, the winters will probably get hotter," Fabio Luiz Teixeira, a professor at the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Sao Paulo, told AFP.

According to experts, the abnormal weather in August 2023 is because of a large mass of hot and dry air hovering over Brazil.

The mix of the El Nino weather phenomenon and global warming caused by human activities creates this mass that elevates the temperature.

"Today, we have temperatures five degrees above average in some areas or cities in Brazil," stated Cleber Souza, an Inmet meteorologist.

Souza also warned of high temperatures in Mato Grosso, Brazil's centre-west, of around 41 degrees Celsius, and temperatures in the country's north and northeast approaching 40 degrees Celsius.

The authorities of Sao Paulo, which saw above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall in July, have identified many locations at high risk of forest fires.

Due to the dry temperature and low humidity, they have encouraged residents to stay hydrated, avoid exercising outside, and even apply a serum to refresh their nostrils and eyes in some locations.

People are wearing clothes like it's a regular summer day on the streets of Sao Paulo. "It's hot but windy.We're used to it," Jose Carlos Antonio, a 40-year-old construction worker, said.

Southern Cone countries have set heat records amid the southern winter. However, high-temperature waves may become a permanent feature of the planet as a result of climate change, according to a UN expert.

(With inputs from agencies)

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