Chile's capital, Santiago, is experiencing the most intense cold snap in nearly seven decades, ushering in winter weather during the heart of autumn. Residents are bundling up with extra layers and sipping hot beverages to cope with the sudden drop in temperatures.
Raul Cordero, a climatologist at the University of Santiago, told Reuters, \"Since 1950, that is, in the last 74 years, we had not had a cold wave as intense as the current one in May.\" He emphasized that this is the longest cold wave recorded in the capital since 1950 for the fall season.
On Thursday, the meteorological office forecasted a minimum temperature of 1 degree Celsius (34 Fahrenheit) in the central Santiago area. The weather shift has been abrupt, with snowy peaks emerging in the mountains near the capital just days after a period of summer heat.
Francisca Vergara, a student, remarked, \"Before, May was a very autumnal month, and now we go from extreme heat to extreme cold.\" In response to the severe conditions, the Chilean government declared a \"code blue\" in six regions of central and south-central Chile to support those living on the streets during the extreme cold.
Cordero also noted that the clash of polar cold masses with tropical warm ones can lead to severe storms, similar to recent events in Brazil, where heavy rains and floods have resulted in nearly 150 fatalities. He attributed the extreme weather to factors like climate change, El Niño, La Niña, and unfortunate positioning of cold masses.
\"These masses could have been found a few hundred kilometers further north or a few hundred kilometers further south, and the consequences would have been different,\" Cordero explained.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
