By Nicole Froio, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Yesterday was hottest day since 1915 according to Climatempo Institute, with a thermal sensation of 47°C in the air. The actual temperature was around the low forties, with 43.2°C being recorded in Santa Cruz, in Zona Oeste (West Zone) of the city.
Previously, the title of hottest day of the year in the city of Rio de Janeiro was 41°C. Yesterday, even in the shade most city thermometers were reading temperatures from 38°C to 40°C.
Even the people who usually enjoy going to the beach to refresh themselves in the ocean water just couldn’t stay in the sand for too long because of how uncomfortable it felt.
An expatriate living in Ipanema told The Rio Times: “I tried going to the beach for a little, but all the umbrellas were already rented, and it was too hot to be out there under the direct sun.”
Specialists say a warm mass of air will not allow rain clouds to form this time of year, which makes the climate even hotter. Yet the Climatempo Institute has predicted a cold front should make the weather more bearable today.
However, the Centro de Previsão do Tempo e Estudos Climáticos (Centre of Climate Prevision and Climatic Studies or Cptec/Inpe) says the whole summer will be nearly as hot as the record-breaking temperature.
In the Santos Dumont Airport, the air conditioning broke down, leaving staff and travelers in the extreme heat. This is the second time the system has been turned off this week, but a spokesperson for the airport says it has been completely fixed now.
Read more (in Portuguese).
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