RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It’s still spring in Brazil, but a dangerous heat wave is sweeping across large swathes of the country, forcing Rio de Janeiro’s vendors off the streets due to health alerts and driving up energy demand amid reports of power outages.
Most Brazilian states face “great danger” from the heat, according to the National Institute of Meteorology.
Actual temperatures dropped slightly on Wednesday, but were forecast to rise again to 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) on Thursday.
In Sao Paulo, temperatures reached 37.7 degrees Celsius (99.9 F), just short of a record, according to meteorology company MetSul.
In Brazil, El Niño has historically caused droughts in the north and intense rainfall in the south, Ferreira said.
Persons:
— It’s, Cariocas, Núbia Beray, “ Cariocas, ” Beray, Danielle Ferreira, ” Ferreira, El Niño, Ferreira, hydrologist Javier Tomasella, ” Tomasella
Organizations:
RIO DE, Rio de, National Institute of Meteorology, Mato Grosso, Federal University of Rio, National Institute for Space Research
Locations:
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Rio’s, Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso, Sul, Portuguese, Mato, Cyprus, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, South America, Equatorial Pacific, Inmet, El, Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia