CNN: Parts of South America are sweltering under a 'fierce' heatwave - and it's the middle of winter [View all]

[OKIsItJustMe]

Parts of South America are sweltering under a ‘fierce’ heatwave – and it’s the middle of winter

By Sophie Tanno, CNN
Updated 6:51 AM EDT, Fri August 4, 2023

Parts of South America are sweltering under abnormally hot temperatures – despite being in the depths of winter – as the combination of human-caused climate change and the arrival of El Niño feed into extreme winter heat.

Southern Cone countries including Chile and Argentina have experienced summer-like conditions as a heat wave, beginning in July, pushed temperatures higher than 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in some places – dramatically above average for this time of year.

Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist who tracks extreme temperatures across the globe, told CNN that South America is experiencing a “fierce winter heat wave.”

While such heat waves are not unheard of for the continent, this one has “exceptional characteristics for its area, duration, intensity and being early August,” Herrara said, adding “dozens of stations are recording their highest ever temperatures in the first half of August.”

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