The national record high temperature was broken yesterday at Rio de Janeirowhere thermometers showed up to 58.5 degrees Celsius, the authorities of the Brazilian metropolis announced.

Much of Latin America’s largest country has been experiencing extreme heat since the weekend. The National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) put 15 states, in the southeast, center-west and north of the country, as well as the capital, Brasilia, on maximum alert.

Yesterday Tuesday, the Alerta Rio system recorded the highest temperature since it began to be systematically recorded in 2014: it reached 58.5 degrees Celsius.

The previous record high of 58 degrees Celsius was only recorded in February.

The nominal forecast for the temperature yesterday Tuesday was that it would reach 39 degrees Celsius.

With thermometers reading 37.3°C, Brasilia for its part recorded the hottest temperature on record since records began in the federal capital in 1962, according to INMET.

As for Latin America’s largest metropolis, Sao Paulo, it recorded the second highest temperature on record at 37.7°C, one decimal place below the all-time record of 37.8°C set in October 2014. .

“For us who work on the road, things are unbearable in this heat. I try to get there very early to leave” at noon, said Dora, 60, who sells her produce on a city boulevard and would only give her first name.

The heat wave – temperatures are at least 5° Celsius above normal for the season – is expected to last until at least the day after tomorrow, Friday, according to INMET forecasts.

The heat also leads to new energy consumption records. After breaking the 100,000 megawatt barrier for the first time in history on Monday, a new record of 101,400 megawatts was set on Tuesday, according to the country’s electricity system operator.

Due to El Nino, Brazil has been facing extreme phenomena for months: historic drought is affecting the Amazon and its tributaries on the one hand, while on the other hand heavy rains and cyclones are recorded in the south.

Drought has helped increase the range of fires in the Pantanal (west), home to the world’s largest wetland. Fires are mainly attributed to human activities.