The mercury reached worrying highs across the planet during the month of March. Here are three particularly notable heat episodes for this period.
62 degrees in Rio
The temperature reached 62.3 degrees in Brazil during the last Sunday of summer in the southern hemisphere, March 17.
In Rio de Janeiro, the Guaratiba district was the scene of an unprecedented heat wave.
“Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Hydrate!”, Rio’s municipal alert system warned on X, announcing a felt temperature of 62.3 degrees, after 60.1 degrees the day before.
Heatwaves followed one another in Brazil in 2023, the hottest year ever recorded in the country. There were no less than 65 days of heatwave, which is nine times more than in 1990, according to data from the National Institute for Space Research.
A very dangerous situation, especially for the 40% of the population who live in favelas.
“More densely built areas, with materials that absorb heat, little green space and shade, favor higher temperatures,” explained a study by Redes da Maré (Maré Networks), a local NGO that fight for the quality of life and the rights of the 140 million inhabitants of the Favelas de Maré, published in November 2023.
45 degrees in Sudan
South Sudan has closed its schools due to heat for the first time in its history, and for an indefinite period.
A heatwave has persisted for a week in East Africa and is expected to continue through the first week of April, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius daily.
In addition to closing schools, the government recommends that young people remain confined indoors to avoid the risks of this extreme heat to their health.
Without specifying how many, cases of deaths linked to excessive heat have already been reported, according to the authorities.
This heatwave period is expected to continue this week.
Summer temperatures in winter in Morocco
The city of Agadir, Morocco, also experienced unusually high temperatures in the winter season, reaching 37.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, March 17.
This is not the first time in 2024 that temperatures are abnormally high in Morocco. The country recorded its hottest January since 1940.
The mercury also reached 36.6 degrees Celsius in Tan-Tan, in the south of the country, in February, setting a new national heat record for that month.
This intense heat comes at a time when the country is already facing a persistent drought for six years.