Just days after sunbathing in T-shirts, Chileans are uniting for the coldest fall in more than 70 years. This week, a sudden cold front hit parts of South America unaccustomed to the harsh wind chill of this time of year, leading to dramatic wardrobe changes.
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Temperatures broke records along the Chilean coast and in the capital, Santiago, dropping to near freezing, making this month the country’s coldest May since 1950, Chile’s weather service said.
Meteorologists say an unusual series of polar air masses is moving across the southern part of the continent, dropping the mercury below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places. It’s the latest example of extreme weather in the region, such as the heatwave scorching Mexico, which scientists have linked to climate change.
Footprints form a heart shape on a snow-covered rugby field in Santiago, Chile, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basuardo)
“The last few days have been one of the longest and earliest periods (of cold fronts) ever recorded,” said Raul Cordero, a climatologist at the University of Santiago, ahead of the arrival of winter in the southern hemisphere. ” he said. “An intrusion of cold air from Antarctica that brings temperatures below freezing usually occurs after June, but less often in May.”
The country’s national weather system said a cold front coming in from Antarctica was colliding with warm air coming in from the northwestern Amazon, adding to the heavy rains hitting Brazil.
Chile’s government has issued a cold weather warning for much of the country and stepped up support for homeless people struggling to endure frigid temperatures on the streets. Snow covered the peaks of the Andes, it snowed in parts of Santiago, and many areas experienced power outages this week.
“Winter came early,” said Mercedes Aguayo, a street vendor selling gloves and hats in Santiago.
He said he was pleased with the turnaround after Chile experienced a record winter heatwave last year, with experts pointing to climate change and cyclical El Niño weather patterns. did.
“I had these items (hats and gloves) in storage for four years, always sporadic in the winter, some days hot, some cold,” Aguayo said.
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This week’s cold snap also caught parts of Argentina and Paraguay by surprise.
Energy demand has skyrocketed in many parts of Argentina. The country’s main hydrocarbon company CECHA said Thursday that its distributors had cut supplies to dozens of gas stations and industries in several states to avoid power outages in homes.
