The heat wave that hits Latin America since the beginning of the year it reached record levels this weekend, as in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the sensible temperature reached 62.3°C, at the same time that the south is threatened by torrential rains.

“Avoid any prolonged exposure to the sun. Stay hydrated,” Rio’s municipality warned via Platform X, announcing that the temperature reached 62.3 degrees Celsius at 9.55am in Garatiba, a neighborhood in the city’s western suburbs. Yesterday in the same area the felt temperature was 60.1°C, breaking every record since 2014, when these measurements began.

In the western, poor suburbs of Rio live 40% of the 6 million inhabitants of this city. The actual temperature on Sunday was 42°C but the perceived one climbed to unimaginable heights even in the suburb of the Botanical Garden, with its lush vegetation: it was 57.7°C.

“We’re trying to protect ourselves, go to more open areas, near the sea, but something has to be done,” said resident Raquel Correa, 49, who was seeking some coolness in a park. “I’m afraid the situation will get worse because the population is growing and deforestation is continuing, as housing is increasing,” he added.

The iconic beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana were black with people on Sunday. Others found refuge in Tizuka Park, the “green lung” in the heart of the city.

In Sao Paulo of 12 million inhabitants Saturday was the hottest day of the year, with the thermometer reading 34.7°C. This is the highest temperature recorded in the month of March since 1943, when Brazil’s National Meteorological Institute (Inmet) began measurements. There too, the parks were full while many rushed to the beaches to cool off, causing huge traffic jams at the exits of the city. According to local media, a 20 kilometer long queue of cars was created.

Southern Brazil, on the other hand, is threatened by rain. Severe storms are expected throughout the week, authorities warned, as a cold front is expected to bring strong winds. Some communities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul are already recording unusually high amounts of rain, while in Uruguay, roads flooded.

Experts attribute this instability to the El Niño phenomenon on the one hand and to climate change on the other.