The heat wave spreads across Brazil this week

Temperatures well above normal for August can be observed in the country. Historical records for the month can be renewed.

The last month of winter 2023, which began astronomically on June 21, will begin with a heat wave which will cause many Brazilian states to experience exceptionally high temperatures by August standards. The heat of the third week of August can break historic records for the month.

The warm air mass intensifies

One a large mass of warm, dry air gains force over Brazil later this week and is expected to expand its operations to virtually all regions of the country.

The expectation is that a heat wave will occur between August 21 and 16, 2023.

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The heat wave is expected to settle in Brazil from 21 to 26 August 2023 (Art: Climatempo)

Despite being a winter month in the Southern Hemisphere, intense heat is a common condition in August in the West Central, Interior Northeast, South Central, Northern Region states.

An increase in heat is also observed in August in the hinterland of Minas Gerais and São Paulo. In some particular situations there are incursions of hot air also on the states of the Southern Region which cause extremes of heat, compared to the normal trend of temperatures for this month.

Maximum weather temperature for August

The map below shows the maximum weather temperature for August in Brazil. Climatology is the normal standard calculated on the basis of 30 years of measurements and made by the National Institute of Meteorology. The most recent calculation was for the period 1991 to 2020.

These the climatological values ​​are the references for comparison and let you say, for example, how many degrees the temperature in a place is above or below normal for a given month.

For example: In the early hours of August 19, the city of São Paulo recorded a minimum temperature of 19.3C, according to Inmet. This value was 6°C higher than the August reference value, which is 13.3°C.

Climatology of August maximum temperature in Brazil (Source: Inmet)

Heat spikes have already occurred in August 2023

On several days August 2023 temperatures far above normal have been observed in some Brazilian states. Look at these examples:

Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso, recorded temperatures between 38°C and 40°C during the entire period between 1 and 12 August. The peak was 40.4C, on the 10th, which is the current heat record in 2023. The average normal high temperature for August is 34.7C, calculated for the period 1991 to 2020.

In Coxim, in Mato Grosso do Sul, the temperature reached 38.2°C on August 10. The city of São Paulo recorded temperatures in the mid-30s more than once in August, with the average maximum normal temperature for this month hovering in the mid-24s. Rio de Janeiro had a temperature of 34.6°C on August 11, which is also a very high temperature for this time of year.

In southern Brazil, Porto Alegre recorded an impressive 33.1C on Aug. 17, 12C above the normal August average high temperature of around 21C. On the same day, temperatures of 33°C to nearly 35°C were observed in the cities of the three states in the southern region.

Exceptionally hot for August

But the situation that lies ahead in the next few days is one of exceptionally hot for August.

Meteorologist Vinícius Lucyrio, from Climatempo’s climate forecasting team, comments:

“We will have temperatures at the level of 850 hPa (around 1500 meters of altitude) above 27°C in a large area of ​​the country, more ‘typical’ situation between September and October. Typical in quotes, as this condition is becoming more frequent.”

Lucyrio explains that this heat is reflected off the surface. “On the surface, this translates into large areas with temperatures just above 40°C in Tocantins, in Mato Grosso, north and west of Goiás, north and east of Mato Grosso do Sul and also in points west and northwest of São Paulo can have temperatures close to or even slightly above 40°C and I don’t think we ever had records like this in August.”

Possibility of historical documents

The difference in the heat of this third week of August compared to what has already happened in the month is that now the intense heat, well above normal, can be widely observed in Brazilreaching several states of different regions at the same time.

Vinicíus Lucyrio predicts that “this time we are talking about temperatures that can exceed 38°C in Campo Grande, 41°C in Cuiabá, 38°C in Goiânia, 34°C in Brasilia, 33/34°C in Sao Paulo (the record is 33.0°C) and 38/39°C in Rio. These are historic records for August that can be renewed!”

During this week, Climatempo will cover this heatwave extensively. Stay tuned for our social media and website information.

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Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.