Heat wave rages on in Southern Brazil

The heat wave assailing Southern Brazil since last Thursday (Jan. 13) is still taking its toll in the region, with temperatures likely to reach 40º C at the far end of Santa Catarina state today (17).

The state’s Civil Defense issued an alert for moderate to high risk of heavy rains with lightning, gusts of wind, possible hail late in the afternoon and at night, while the heat wave lasts. The central and eastern regions of the state, where humidity levels are higher, are more prone, the authorities declared.

“From Wednesday (19) to Thursday (20), the heat wave continues to display extremely high temperatures in Santa Catarina, with afternoons with temperatures above 30ºC across all regions, with 4ºC in the west in some locations,” official predictions read.

The phenomenon is reported as having originated in Argentina, where temperatures of up to 44ºC were registered, and reached Rio Grande do Sul last Thursday (13). On Friday (14), the highest temperature was reported in Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul: 41.7ºC—the hottest since 1912.

Brazil’s national meteorology institute Inmet last week released a high-danger alert, stating temperatures in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná were likely to go 5ºC above the average in the period, for up to five days.