Unprecedented heat for mid-November is roasting Brazil and other parts of South America amid a record stretch of hot weather for the planet. The heat in Rio de Janeiro, with temperatures reaching well above what’s typical for spring, has proven disruptive and deadly. During a sweltering temperatures Friday night, a woman died at a Taylor Swift concert, prompting Swift to postpone her concert scheduled for the following night.
The heat has been caused by a convergence of factors, including a stagnant area of high pressure, El Niño, and human-caused climate change. These factors have also led to an excessive level of heat and humidity, with temperatures topping 100 and dew points reaching the upper 70s in Rio. Heat indexes exceeded 120 degrees, making it difficult for sweat to evaporate off of people’s bodies and increasing the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Record-high temperatures have also been reported in Peru and Bolivia, setting new November records in both countries, while red alerts were issued for nearly 3,000 towns and cities in Brazil due to the “unbearable” heat.
The intensity of the heat is expected to ease somewhat after Sunday, but temperatures are predicted to remain warmer than normal through the next week in central South America.
The heat is being driven by a counterclockwise-spinning surface high pressure system offshore of Brazil, as well as a strengthening El Niño and human-caused climate change.
According to the United Nations, Brazil has warmed by 0.9 degrees in just the past few decades, and land use changes, including deforestation of the Amazon, are expected to accelerate that pace of warming. The frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events are increasing due to human-caused climate change, as the planet has observed its warmest 12-month period on record and the past five months have all been the warmest observed.
These extreme weather events highlight the urgent need for action to combat climate change and its devastating impacts on communities around the world.