By Michela DellaMonica, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – It has been an unusually hot and sunny summer in Rio de Janeiro and the forecast is more of the same for the weekend. According to meteorologists, on Saturday and Sunday, the last weekend of the summer season, it will be clear skies and sunny making it a perfect weekend to enjoy the beautiful beaches Rio has to offer.
After a season that saw record high temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius (about 120 degrees Fahrenheit), many are ready for cooler weather, and the famous Águas de Março (Waters of March, or March Rains).
However on Saturday it should be a high of 36 degrees Celsius (96 degrees Fahrenheit), while the maximum expected on Sunday is 37 degrees. With the arrival of autumn, which starts Thursday, March 20th, a colder front will arrive.
Marcelo Pinheiro, chief meteorologist of Instituto Climatempo, explains that a mass of warm, dry air is the main cause especially in the metropolitan area, and predicts no rain forecast. “This mass of warm air prevents the arrival of cold fronts and rain,” says Pinheiro. “This has been a very hot and dry summer which is atypical.”
The first month of autumn in Rio the weather usually retains characteristics of summer with hot day, but also has rain showers in the late afternoon. “The first day of the new season will still be very hot, but on Friday a cold front is approaching, bringing rain showers in the afternoon,” explains Pinheiro.
Read more (in Portuguese).
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