Winter Heat Wave Sends Peruvians Flocking to Beach

LIMA (Reuters) – Peruvians are browsing, fishing and ditching winter garments to flock to seashores in Lima as a warmth wave continues to upend winter in South America.

“The solar is out consistently, it has been virtually every week with robust sunshine, it feels extra like summer time,” mentioned Sergio Rodriguez, a surf teacher in Lima. “It has given us extra work, individuals need to surf.”

Rolando Quisca, a neighborhood fisherman, additionally mentioned the warmth wave had benefited him, citing an uncommon quantity of albacore, a fish that lives in hotter waters.

“It is uncommon as a result of it has been years and years since we have seen this quantity of albacore,” Quisca mentioned.

Globally, July was the most popular month ever recorded, whereas the start of August has introduced shockingly excessive temperatures to the southern tip of the Americas at a time when the area is often within the useless of winter.

“Now we have recorded a temperature of 27.6 Celsius (82F) on a winter day,” mentioned Yuri Escajadillo, a climate forecaster for Peru’s Nationwide Meteorological and Hydrology Service, Senamhi.

“You do not get this in winter, that is record-breaking and has exceeded all historic values for this season.”

Escajadillo mentioned a part of the explanation for the dramatic temperature spike was heat water alongside Peru’s coasts introduced on by the El Nino climate phenomenon.

He mentioned the water off the coast of Lima needs to be 16-17 Celsius (61-63 Fahrenheit) however was presently 20-21 Celsius (68-70).

Elsewhere in South America, Santiago has skilled spring-like temperatures within the final week, whereas northern Chile registered almost triple-digit temperatures in some areas. In Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is struggling an excessive drought and its water stage is approaching an all-time low.

(Reporting by Carlos Valdez; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Modifying by Rosalba O’Brien)

Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters.