It’s not yet summer in Brazil, but dangerous heat wave is sweeping the country
By ELÉONORE HUGHES and DIANE JEANTET
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It’s still spring in Brazil, but a dangerous heat wave is sweeping the country, prompting health alerts and driving up energy demand as people turn to air conditioning and fans to stay cool. The National Institute of Meteorology said most Brazilians face “great danger” from heat that is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. High humidity made it feel like 58.5 Celsius (137 Fahrenheit) in that city on Tuesday. Amid the high heat, wildfires are burning widely in the Pantanal biome, the world’s biggest tropical wetlands spanning parts of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states.
