An unprecedented heatwave is affecting millions of people in southeastern Brazil, with record-breaking temperatures in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and a high-risk red alert in effect until December 29. The phenomenon, driven by a mass of hot, humid air, has had direct impacts on water supply, public health, and essential services.

The National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) extended its warning on Friday to more than 1,284 municipalities in states including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, and Santa Catarina.

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In São Paulo, the temperature reached 35.9°C on Thursday, the highest recorded in December in the last 60 years, according to data from the Mirante de Santana weather station. In Rio de Janeiro, the heat index reached 41°C (106°F), causing a massive influx of people to the beaches and overwhelming the healthcare system.

Relative humidity remains between 30% and 45%, conditions that exacerbate health risks, especially for children and the elderly. Between December 23 and 24, the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Health Department recorded 973 medical consultations related to dizziness, weakness, fainting, sunburn, and heat stress.

Faced with increased residential consumption, the São Paulo state government issued an urgent appeal to its 46 million residents to reduce water use, as some areas registered a surge in demand of up to 60%, impacting the levels of metropolitan reservoirs.

According to forecasts from Inmet, extreme temperatures will continue in the coming days: 34°C in São Paulo, 41°C in Rio de Janeiro, 34°C in Belo Horizonte, and between 31°C and 34°C in Vitória, Curitiba, and Florianópolis. The persistence of the hot air mass is preventing the advance of cold fronts, prolonging the dry and intensely hot conditions.

This historic heat wave represents a climate emergency with health, water, and energy consequences in one of the most populated regions of Latin America.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.