By Miguel Lo Bianco
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina is being hit by a blistering late-summer heat wave, with many places setting record temperatures for March, while residents, tourists and crops swelter in the sun.
Some towns and cities have posted temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104°F), with Nueve de Julio and Ezeiza breaking records for the month. Buenos Aires itself hit 38 degrees Celsius, breaking a record previously set in 1952.
“You can’t walk around, it’s too humid here. It’s tough,” said resident Gabriel Suarez.
On Wednesday large swathes of Argentina were left without power – or air conditioning – after a blackout in the national grid due to a fire, officials said, as the heat wave has increased electricity demand.
Residents and tourists in Buenos Aires tried to shield themselves from the sun and drink lots of water. Many stayed inside or looked for other ways to stay cool.
“Well, you have to take some three showers a day, drink a lot of water, and avoid alcohol, unfortunately,” said Ande Wanderer, a U.S. tourist traveling in Argentina using a shirt to shade her head from the sun.
“I’m wearing this because as I am a redhead, I have to cover my head or else I’m going to get skin cancer later.”
Argentina has been hit by drought since last year, which has battered its key soybean, corn and wheat crops. High temperature and heat waves have exacerbated the impact on harvests.
(Reporting by Miguel Lo Bianco; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
