Latest news with #coldwave
France 24
04-07-2025
- Climate
- France 24
Record cold grips Argentina, Chile and Uruguay
The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region. In Argentina, at least nine homeless people have died from the cold this winter, according to NGO Proyecto 7. The capital Buenos Aires recorded its lowest temperature since 1991 at -1.9 degrees Celcius (28.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, while the coastal city of Miramar saw snow for the first time in 34 years. Further south, the town of Maquinchao recorded -18C on Tuesday. Electricity demand caused cuts across Buenos Aires, leaving thousands without power for over 24 hours in some areas. The government suspended gas supplies to industries and petrol stations Wednesday to ensure household supplies, and removed price controls on gas cylinders Thursday. Desert snow Uruguay declared a nationwide "red alert" after six people died, allowing President Yamandu Orsi's government to forcibly move homeless people to shelters. Montevideo recorded its lowest maximum temperature since 1967 at 5.8C on June 30, according to meteorologist Mario Bidegain. Chile also activated homeless shelter plans during the coldest days. The city of Chillan, 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Santiago, hit -9.3C, according to the Chilean Meteorological Directorate. "What happened this week in Chile and the Southern Cone in general is a cold wave caused by an escape of a polar air mass from Antarctica," climatologist Raul Cordero from the University of Santiago told AFP. Snow even fell in parts of the Atacama Desert, the world's driest, for the first time in a decade. "It is not so common for these cold air masses to extend so far north, so we cannot rule out that this is also caused by climate change," meteorologist Arnaldo Zuniga told AFP. The region expects relief in the coming days, with Buenos Aires reaching 12C on Thursday, Montevideo 14C and Santiago 24.7C. "I was quite surprised by the change from cold to hot -- the change was very drastic," student Dafne Naranjo, 18, said in Santiago. Climatologist Cordero said heatwaves have become more frequent than cold spells in recent years. "The frequency of heatwaves has tripled, whether in summer or winter, not only in the Southern Cone but throughout the world," he said. © 2025 AFP
Reuters
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
As Europe sizzles, South America shivers under cold snap
BUENOS AIRES, July 1 (Reuters) - As Europe and North America swelter through heat waves, people in South America are contending with equally extreme weather at the other end of the spectrum: a sudden cold snap. In Buenos Aires on Tuesday, locals wrapped up in scarves, puffer jackets and wooly hats, and they sipped hot drinks as frost coated cars in the early morning. Temperatures in the city dropped below zero, a rarity even in the Southern Hemisphere's winter which is currently under way and runs opposite to the Northern Hemisphere's seasons. "I literally almost froze," said Juan Manuel Amnini, a 42-year-old engineer in Buenos Aires who wore a gray wool hat and a face covering against the cold. "You cover up with whatever you have. Under this, I'm wearing layers and layers of clothes like I'm an onion." In Europe meanwhile, Italy banned outdoor work in some areas, while France shut schools and part of the Eiffel Tower. Spain confirmed its hottest June on record as a severe heat wave gripped Europe, triggering widespread health alerts. In Barcelona, authorities were looking into whether the death of a street sweeper over the weekend was heat-related. High temperatures in the northern and middle swath of the United States have been consistent since late June. Heat warnings have been issued across large areas, part of a pattern linked to climate change with high temperatures arriving earlier and lasting longer. Asphalt and concrete in cities intensify the impact by absorbing and radiating heat. In Argentina - as well as neighboring Chile and Uruguay - the cold snap led to unexpected snowfall in some areas, with chill winds from the Antarctic to the south. Many homes and offices were not built for these conditions, residents said. "Right now I have a thermal underneath my clothes, a pair of trousers, and another pair of trousers on top of those," said Gael Larrosa, a student in Buenos Aires. "I have a really hard time with the cold. Here the cold kills you, it really kills you."
