A balmy, nearly 40 C in mid-winter rivalled Canada's summer hot spot
The Chilean Andes and Etzikom, Alta., recently recorded a temperature reading of 39.8°C. What makes this so strange is how Chile was able to tie Canada's national hot spot this year while being in the complete opposite season
Picture this. It’s the middle of winter and your city’s temperature reads nearly 40°C. Impossible, right? Wrong.
On Aug. 1 it happened. A reading of 39.8°C was recorded in the Chilean Andes, kicking off the month with never-before-seen winter heat. Normal temperatures here during this time of year are 10 to 20 degrees below that reading. That would be equivalent to over 18°C in Toronto during mid-January -- something we’ve never recorded before.
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Canada has experienced very similar heat. Our hottest temperature so far this year also hit 39.8°C, recorded in Etzikom, Alta., on July 24. But what makes this so strange is how Chile was able to tie our national hot spot while being in the complete opposite season.
Remember, while Canadians are currently in the heart of summer and these kinds of temperatures do happen, August in the Southern Hemisphere is a mid-winter month, making this event so rare and difficult to fathom.
At the same time, many cities in Chilie recorded all-time high temperatures for the month, reaching into the upper 30s. An unusually strong ridge of high pressure is to blame, allowing ample sun and unfathomable heat to settle in.
It's an event Canadians know quite well, a heat dome, that is occurring, but this time it's shattering all kinds of winter temperature records in South America.
We know our climate is changing, and 2023 is no exception.
In our changing climate, increases in extremes like these are expected to become common sights in the years to come.