Climate scientists are in disbelief as near 40 degrees Celsius have been recorded in parts of South America at the start of August. These are summertime temperatures in the middle of winter.
Experts attribute this South American heatwave to the weather system El Niño and human-made climate change.
According to data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), an independent intergovernmental organisation these temperatures are “…between 10C and 20C above what is normal for this time of year in parts of Chile and Argentina.”
Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick @sarahscience, University of New South Wales climate scientist, tweeted “….if those temperatures were to occur in New South Wales, which sits at a similar latitude, it would be ‘extraordinary’.”
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ABC News – South-America-extreme-heat-mid-winter
The Guardian – South-America-winter-heatwave