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Brazil Could Break All-Time High Temp Record in Waning Days of Winter [1]
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Date: 2023-09-21 12:24:45
Brazil is bracing for a heat wave that could see temperatures rise to 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) during the Southern Hemisphere's final days of winter. That temperature would reportedly break a record in the country -- not just for winter, but for any time of year.
A heat dome, created when high pressure funnels and traps heat under a particular area, is set to hover over some parts of the country for several days, creating potentially life-threatening conditions, according to the Brazilian Report.
Colin McCarthy, who operates the extreme weather monitoring platform U.S. Stormwatch, shared radar images projecting the heat wave, with large swathes of dark red descending on South America.
The potentially record-breaking temperatures could also decimate the country's coffee yield, especially because "Arabica coffee trees are sensitive to temperatures above 33 Celsius [91.4 degrees Fahrenheit] during the reproductive phase," agronomist Jonas Ferraresso told Reuters.
If hot temperatures come too early, coffee plants could fail to fruit. It's only the first in a series of flowerings, Ferraresso added, so the plants could recover as long as rain returns in early October. But that's no guarantee.
The heat wave isn't even the first to hit the continent during this year's winter season. In August, parts of Chile, Argentina, and neighboring countries reached over 100 degrees, resulting in "one of the extreme events the world has ever seen," according to weather historian Maximiliano Herrera.
São Paulo, a city of 12.3 million people, is expected to reach 102 degrees Fahrenheit within the next few days, per Brazilian Report.
Brazil's unusual weather patterns are likely caused by a combination of climate change and the effects of El Niño, which warms Pacific Ocean temperatures.
The U.S. was hit with similarly severe heat waves throughout the summer. The Environmental Protection Agency attributes the increased frequency and intensity of heat waves to climate change, with major cities now clocking an average of six heat waves per year, up from just two in the 1960s.
Meanwhile, the Northern Hemisphere is coming out of the hottest summer ever recorded, after the hottest July and August on record.
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[1] Url:
https://themessenger.com/news/brazil-could-break-all-time-high-temp-record-in-waning-days-of-winter
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