Heat and above-average rainfall mark summer in Rio de Janeiro

This year’s summer will be remembered by cariocas for the thermal sensation above 50ºC and maximum temperatures close to 42ºC, registered in February. In the first weeks of the season, which started on December 21, the maximum temperature was just 22.5°C, far below the averages for the period. The season most appreciated by locals and tourists visiting the city, this year’s Rio summer showed its typical behavior a little later, passing 40°C only on January 15, when 40.3°C were recorded in Irajá. According to Alerta Rio, the prefecture’s rain and landslide monitoring and warning system, this summer, there was a record of rain in 37 days at the rainfall stations, between December 21 and March 19. Last month alone, it rained on 22 of the 28 days of the month, making this the fourth wettest February in the entire historical series. In the accumulated result for the month, there were 222.4 millimeters (mm) of rain in the municipality, which corresponded to an excess of 85% of rain in relation to the historical average for February, which is 120.4 mm. “It was a summer with many days of forecast and record of heavy rain. From mid-January, it didn’t happen anymore, they were typical hot days, with the temperature rising, clear skies and rain showers in the afternoon and evening”, highlights Alerta Rio. Autumn According to Alerta Rio, autumn, the season that begins on Monday (20th) and ends on June 21st, has no rain forecast for the next few days, but showers may still occur during the period. The season is marked by an increase in the number of cold fronts, especially when the month of June approaches. The forecast is for cooler dawns with hot days, that is, an increase in the so-called thermal amplitude. *Intern under the supervision of Akemi Nitahara

Agência Brasil