Gizmodo By Molly Taft
The country is suffering through a heat wave that knocked out power in Buenos Aires and challenged all-time records.
Ground temperatures climbed above 129 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius) in parts of Argentina this week as the country suffers through a shockingly hot start to summer. Air temperatures were equally suffocating, leadingĀ to widespread blackouts as the Southern Cone attempts to beat the heat.
Copernicusās Sentinel 3 satellite recorded theĀ extreme ground temperatures.Ā ThoseĀ temperatures are different than air temperatures, which is our usual way of conveying how hot a place is.Ā The surface of the Earth tend to be hotter than air temperatures, given that heat can more easily dissipate in the air.
ButĀ air temperatures are still pretty unbearable in Argentina. On Tuesday,Ā temperatures roseĀ to 106.7 degrees Fahrenheit (41.5 degrees Celsius) in Buenos Aires, the second-highest reading in the city in more than 100 years of records. Other parts of the country saw temperatures as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius). The heat was so bad in Argentina on Tuesday that it wasĀ briefly the hottest place in the world, surpassing parts of Australia that usually have that honor during austral summer.
