The maps depict air temperature levels at 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) above the ground. The darkest reds show where temperatures were highest on January 11 in Argentina (above) and on January 13 in Australia (listed below).
If validated by Australias Bureau of Meteorology, the temperature will equal the hottest day on record for the southern hemisphere. The previous record was determined in Oodnadatta, South Australia, in 1960.
January 11, 2022
A summer heatwave knocked out power in Argentina, while heat in Western Australia most likely tied the hottest temperature level ever determined south of the equator.
Summertime south of the equator is proving to be a scorcher. At the time, it was the most popular place on the planet.
The searing heat is obvious on these maps, derived from the Goddard Earth Observing System ( GEOS) model. The maps portray air temperature levels at 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) above the ground. The darkest reds show where temperatures were highest on January 11 in Argentina (above) and on January 13 in Australia (below).
According to Argentinas National Meteorological Service (SMN), ground stations in Buenos Aires tape-recorded a temperature of 41.1 ° C( 106 ° F) on January 11. Thats the citys second-hottest day on record. Elsewhere in Argentina, temperature levels in Córdoba and Punta Indio climbed above 41 ° C. The severe heat extended west toward the Andes Mountains, as well as north into Paraguay and Uruguay.
The heat took a toll on Argentinas power grid, leaving more than 700,000 consumers without power. The heats were also anticipated to blister crops, such as soy and corn, that have actually currently experienced extended drought.
January 13, 2022
If confirmed by Australias Bureau of Meteorology, the temperature will equate to the most popular day on record for the southern hemisphere. The previous record was measured in Oodnadatta, South Australia, in 1960.
According to The Washington Post, the events in Argentina and Western Australia both arised from heat domes that established over each area. The phenomenon happens when high pressure in the mid- to upper-atmosphere serve as a cap, trapping warm air as it increases and pushing it back down to warm the surface much more.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, utilizing GEOS-5 information from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at NASA GSFC.