Rio de Janeiro faces an unprecedented heatwave

Brazil is currently experiencing a major heat wave. The emblematic city of Rio de Janeiro is unrelenting and has broken the record for two consecutive days of heat.

Rio for sure. The 6.7 million residents of Brazil’s second largest city have been dealing with heat episodes of significant intensity for several days, breaking several records, according to local authorities and as reported by some Brazilian media such as Corio da Menha and CNN Brazil.

Saturday 16 March system Alert Rio, operated by the city, recorded a temperature of 60.1 at the Guaratiba Weather Station at 10:20 am. The record since the system’s first reading in 2014 and which was surpassed the next day, this Sunday, by the temperature felt at 62.3. Slightly lower prices were already recorded in the previous days.

“Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Hydrate!”, recommended Rio’s municipal alert system on X (formerly Twitter).

“I’m so afraid it’s going to get worse”

The temperature displayed on thermometers in Rio rose to 42°C on Sunday. Perceived temperature can be pronounced relative to actual temperature based on humidity, wind strength, or temperature in the shade.

“We are trying to protect ourselves, to go to a more open place along the sea,” said Raquel Correa, 49, who lives in a park in the center.

“I am very afraid that it will get worse, because the population is increasing a lot and the deforestation is very significant due to the increase in the number of housing units,” she added.

Symbolic of Rio, the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana were packed with people on Sunday. Many people have also found refuge in Tijuca Park, a real green lung of the city.

Scorching heat even in Sao Paulo

In Sao Paulo, South America’s largest city, with twice the population of Rio, at more than 12 million, Saturday was the hottest day of the year with temperatures reaching 34.7 °C. This is the highest March temperature since Brazil’s National Meteorological Institute (INMET) began measuring in 1943.

Sunday brought a barely perceptible reprieve: the thermometer dropped back to 34.3ºC, the previous record for March set in 2012.

Here again, the parks of Brazil’s most populous metropolis were overflowing. According to local media, many people also set out to storm the coast, causing heavy traffic jams at the gates of the city, until a 20-kilometer line of cars formed. “Before we didn’t have such heat, it has changed a lot in recent times,” Vanuza Maria Esteven, a 40-year-old resident, complained to AFP.

Flooding in the south

In the south of Brazil, by contrast, it is rain that threatens. Heavy rain is expected to continue this week, authorities have warned. “The week will be at a high risk of heavy rains and storms in south-central Brazil,” weather information agency Metsul warned on Sunday.

“The most concerning system is a very strong cold front that will bring torrential rain and possible thunderstorms,” ​​she added.

Some areas of Rio Grande do Sul state are recording “abnormally high” rainfall amounts. In Uruguay, the state’s worst-hit city, flooded streets and buses were half-submerged. According to MetSul, up to 500 millimeters of water could fall, while in February Rio Grande do Sul state was suffocating due to Argentina’s “extreme heat dome”.

Experts attribute these extreme events and meteorological instability to climate change and the El Niño phenomenon that affects the southern cone of Latin America in midsummer, causing wildfires in Chile. The current climate has already warmed by about 1.2 °C compared to 1850–1900, leading to increased episodes of droughts, floods and heat waves.