Buenos Aires sees hottest February day in 61 years

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Saturday (11) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, started at 31ºC at 9 am and was forecast to reach 38ºC at the hottest times, a record for the month of February in the last 61 years —in 1944, the city reached 38, 7°C temperature.

In the capital region, the day was partly cloudy and the night should have wind gusts of 50 km per hour. The minimum temperature was 27ºC. The country is suffering a heat wave that has put several parts of the center and north of the country on alert. This Saturday, the provinces of Corrientes, Misiones, San Luis, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires were on orange alert. Córdoba, according to the SMN (National Meteorological Service). Between Ríos and San Juan received the yellow warning.

The categories indicate that temperatures can be dangerous for the elderly, children and people with chronic diseases.

For several days now, Argentina has been recording its eighth heat wave this summer, with temperatures reaching nearly 40°C. In the last decade, there have been no more than four or five similar episodes per season, according to the meteorological agency. Considering all quarters from November to January, the current one was the hottest since 1961, with an anomaly of more than 1.7ºC.

“A single heat wave falls within the range of normal climate variability. But with climate change, more persistent and intense waves are observed on all continents. And in Argentina they are also occurring in Patagonia,” explained meteorologist Enzo Campetella to the agency. of AFP news.

In the region, in the south of the country, temperatures reached 42ºC last Thursday (9) on the coast of the province of Rio Negro. Changes in west or southwest winds, however, eased the situation and reduced temperatures.

During 2022, the La Niña climate phenomenon raised historical temperature records across Argentina, where drought affected the planting and harvesting of crops, which could cost losses in excess of US$ 10 billion (R$ 52.5 billion), according to a recent report by the Rosario Grain Exchange.

According to the SMN, average temperatures changed in the last period (1991-2020) compared to the previous one (1981-2010). “Depending on the variable, the region, the month or the quarter, these changes can be very slight or quite noticeable”, says the agency on its website.

The average temperature for the period beginning in 1981, for example, was 16.1°C, while that of the last cycle was 16.3°. “Although it may seem like a small change, one must consider that the entire territory of the country is being taken into account, which can soften the values”, he says. “On the annual map, you can see a general trend towards warmer temperatures, with the greatest warming recorded in Jujuy and north of Salta.” Global warming is related to the greater occurrence of extreme weather events, such as heat waves.

Sunday (12) should continue with high temperatures in Buenos Aires, but milder than this Saturday. The forecast is for a cloudy day with rain showers, minimum of 26ºC and maximum of 37ºC.

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