Unprecedented Heatwave Sweeps Across Brazil
Record-breaking temperatures attributed to El Niño and climate change affect millions and lead to widespread wildfires.
- Brazil is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave with red alerts issued for almost 3,000 towns and cities, affecting over a hundred million people.
- The heatwave, attributed to the El Niño phenomenon and climate change, has led to record-breaking temperatures, with Rio de Janeiro experiencing a heat index of 58.5 degrees Celsius.
- The extreme heat has driven up energy demand, leading to power outages in major cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
- Wildfires are ravaging the Pantanal biome, the world's largest tropical wetlands, destroying an area about the size of Cyprus.
- The heatwave, which is the eighth to hit Brazil this year, is part of a trend of increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather due to human-caused climate change.
Washington Post 