The National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) has issued an orange “Danger” alert for a heat wave hitting Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and six other states in the Southeast, Center-West and South. According to Inmet, temperatures could be 5°C higher than average and the situation represents a health risk.
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- Time: With 35.9ºC, São Paulo records the highest temperature in history in December
The alert began on December 23 and remains valid until 6 p.m. this Friday, affecting a total of 1,284 municipalities. See the Inmet alert area below:
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The region most affected by the heatwave is the Southeast, which has two states entirely located in the Inmet alert zone, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Relative air humidity levels are expected to vary between 30% and 45% in the region, characterizing a dry period. The Inmet alert also covers southern Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, in addition to northern Paraná. Parts of Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul are also affected by the heatwave.
In addition to the orange alert, there is also a yellow alert, which indicates “potential danger”, extending from the coast of Espírito Santo to the central part of Goiás, including Goiânia. Belo Horizonte is also in the area of this alert. The health risks, according to Inmet, are slight. The alert comes into force from this Friday and runs until the 29th.
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In São Paulo, Christmas marked the highest temperature recorded in the capital for the entire month of December: 35.9°C at the Mirante de Santana meteorological station, in the North zone. It was also the highest temperature of the entire year in the city.
At the end of November, when publishing the forecast for the month of December, Inmet had already highlighted the tendency for temperatures to be above average in almost the entire country. According to the institute, the largest increases would be concentrated in the North, the Northeast and the Center-West. Only in the South, some regions would go as planned.
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