As winter continues to bring extreme weather to different parts of the world, a summary of the current weather conditions in South America, Europe, and North America is in order. From record-breaking heat across South America to plunging temperatures in Europe and North America, the weather is nothing short of extraordinary.
In South America, temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-to-high 30s celsius for Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay, with maximum temperatures possibly hitting 40C across northern Argentina. This is at least 5-10C above the climatological average, and the extreme heat is expected to continue at least until the middle part of February. Sadly, the heat has already caused the deaths of at least 23 people and 40,000 hectares of land have been damaged by the 39 wildfires raging across Chile.
In Europe, parts of the Balkans, Greece, and Turkey will plunge into a cold spell this week, with temperatures forecast to fall 10-15C below the seasonal average. Minimum temperatures will plummet to between -10C and -20C, with the coldest temperatures looking to be around the Dinaric Alps during the middle part of this week. Turkey will be hit with strong winds and heavy snowfall too, with maximum snowfall accumulations of more than a metre across the Pontic Mountains in the north of the country during the first part of this week.
Finally, in North America, a severe cold snap affected Canada and north-eastern parts of the US last week. The dangerously low temperatures and strong winds triggered threat-to-life warnings in several states, with temperatures at the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire falling to -47F (-44C). A state of emergency was declared in Boston, Massachusetts, with a minimum air temperature of -10F (-23C) recorded in the city on 4 February.
As the world continues to experience extreme weather conditions, it is important to stay informed and prepared.
Source: www.theguardian.com