Whereas the northern hemisphere battles excessive summer time temperatures, international locations within the Southern Cone, similar to Chile and Argentina, are experiencing file warmth in the course of their supposed winter.
On Tuesday, the city of Vicuna in central Chile reached a scorching 37 levels Celsius (virtually 99 levels Fahrenheit), a temperature not seen in over 70 years. This heatwave can be affecting Santiago, the capital of Chile, the place temperatures reached 24C (75F) on Wednesday and are anticipated to remain comparable over the following few days.
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the temperature soared over 30C (86F) on Tuesday, marking the very best August 1 temperature ever recorded. Usually, Buenos Aires sees common August temperatures between 18C (64F) and 9C (48F).
Uruguay can be feeling the warmth, as a number of cities recorded temperatures of 30C (86F) on Wednesday.
Chile’s Atmosphere Minister, Maisa Rojas, a climatologist, attributes this excessive warmth to a mix of worldwide warming brought on by local weather change and the El Niño phenomenon. She believes that when El Niño subsides, the climate circumstances ought to return to regular.
El Niño occasions are identified for rising Pacific Ocean temperatures, leading to heavy rainfall, floods, avalanches, and heatwaves in western South America.
Whereas Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo are anticipated to chill down within the coming days, specialists predict that heatwaves of this magnitude will turn into extra frequent.
One of many vital impacts of this heat climate is the impact on snowpacks within the mountains, that are essential for water provide in Santiago.
Rojas additionally expressed issues in regards to the results of warmth on the polar areas, noting that sea ice ranges round Antarctica are at a historic minimal, particularly when they need to be reaching their most in September.
The bizarre heatwave in Southern Cone international locations serves as a reminder of the continued challenges posed by local weather change.
© 2023 AFP
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South America sweats underneath excessive temps—in the course of winter (2023, August 3)
retrieved 3 August 2023
from https://phys.org/information/2023-08-south-america-high-tempsin-middle.html
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