The heat index is the temperature a person feels, taking into account humidity, not the number shown on a thermometer. Brazil's Alerta Rio weather system said the actual maximum temperature in Rio de Janeiro on March 18 was 42 degrees Celsius, according to AFP.
The record 62.3 degrees Celsius was recorded in western Rio at 9:55 am (local time) and is the "highest level" since Alerta Rio began collecting data in 2014.
Crowded beach in Rio de Janeiro on March 17
Residents and tourists flocked to the famous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches in Rio, Brazil's second most populous city, as authorities issued guidelines to cope with the heat.
"I am very concerned that the situation will get worse, because the population is increasing and deforestation is very serious due to the high demand for housing," AFP quoted Raquel Correia, a resident of Rio.
The previous record felt temperature in the country, which is mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, was 59.7 degrees Celsius, set in November 2023.
Meanwhile, extremely heavy rains are causing damage in southern Brazil and are forecast to continue this week, according to authorities.
The heat wave is also raging in South Sudan, a country in East Africa. The Guardian reported that South Sudan will close all schools from March 18 in preparation for an extreme heat wave expected to last two weeks.
Health and education officials in South Sudan have advised parents to keep their children out of the sun as temperatures are expected to rise to 45 degrees Celsius. The statement did not say how long schools would be closed.
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