2022 South American cold wave

The 2022 South American cold wave refers to a series of cold temperatures and non-consecutive drops in temperature that had been recorded from May to November 2022.

2022 South American cold wave

Polar winds coming from Antarctica in South America
Formed	May 2022
Dissipated	November 2022
Fatalities	37^[1]^[2]
Areas affected	Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay

At least 37 deaths have been registered due to the cold wave: 18 in Bolivia, 11 in Argentina, 5 in Peru, two in Uruguay and one in Paraguay.^[3]

Origin

It was recorded that the first cold waves originated from Subtropical Storm Yakecan in May, which mainly impacted eastern Brazil. According to France24, the wave was influenced by global warming by unbalancing the air masses.^[1]

By country

Argentina

Servicio Meteorológico Nacional announced that the cold wave had begun in Argentina on June 21 through its official Twitter account. By 30 May, the City of Buenos Aires registered a relevant drop in temperature, the SMN said that the wave "advanced from Patagonia to the central zone of the country, and when combined with nights of little cloudiness, favored values of low temperatures and frosts." in a large part of the Pampas and Cuyo region.^[4] The SNM also stated that in some Argentine provinces there would be drizzle and hail in less than -10°.^[5]

In August 2022, another significant drop in temperature was recorded, from 18 °C (64 °F) in the afternoon to 0 °C (32 °F) in the early morning.^[6]

Bolivia

Bolivia felt the presence of the wave in June in the western departments,^[7] the Bolivian Senamhi reported that the cold wave would mainly hit western Bolivia.^[8] On 1 June, the city of El Alto registered −9.8 °C (14.4 °F), the lowest temperature recorded in Bolivia in 24 years.^[9]

Brazil

The cold wave was registered in June, in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, a cold wave coming from the south, the temperature did not exceed 5 °C (41 °F), the cold wave was also present in the central zone of Brazil.^[10]

Chile

The Chilean Meteorological Directorate said in May that the regions of Araucanía and Ñuble would present up to −7 °C (19 °F) in their low areas, the area between the regions of Valparaíso and Biobío were also affected by the drop in temperature as well as the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which was reduced to −4 °C (25 °F). The Chilean government applied the Blue Code to safeguard the homeless against the cold snap, the code has been active ever since.^[11] Researchers from the University of Talca carried out a study that stated that the cold wave would expand throughout 2022, affecting crops through frost.^[12]

Colombia

In January, the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Valle del Cauca had already precipitated that a cold wave would come in the Colombian Pacific even though the weather is in the dry season.^[13] In February, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam) reported that the temperature would reach 3–4 °F (−16 – −16 °C) in Bogotá at dawn.^[14] The cyclones of June 2022 contributed to the Colombian cold.^[15]

Ecuador

In Ecuador, an abnormal drop in temperature was registered in June in the coastal provinces, according to the Institute of Hydrology and Meteorology (Inamhi), according to the Ecuadorian government institute, this climate was caused by the factors of the trade winds and the La Niña phenomenon.^[16] In early July, the cold wave in Cuenca and Loja was accompanied by rain.^[17][18]

Paraguay

The Paraguayan Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) said that in June temperatures would be around 1–3 °C (34–37 °F) in the eastern region, while in the western region it would be around 4 °C (39 °F).^[19]

Peru

The cold wave was present with the death of five indigenous infants from the Río Tambo District in the center of the country.^[2] On 29 August, the city of Lima suffered the coldest day after sixty years, presenting a temperature drop from 16 °C (61 °F) to 3.2 °C (37.8 °F).^[20] Since 30 August, metropolitan Lima is considered to be suffering a cold wave, according to the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru (SENAMHI).^[21][22]

SENAMHI indicated that the cold wave seriously affects rice crops in the country.^[23]

Uruguay

The Uruguayan Institute of Meteorology issued an alert on 30 May for the arrival of the cold wave in "the southwest, center, east and northeast" of Uruguay due to the drop in temperatures to −7 °C (19 °F).^[24]

Repercussions

The Pan American Health Organization reported that the cold wave was causing an increase in flu cases, especially in the Southern Cone, and that these were not being treated as they should be, being confused with COVID-19 cases.^[25] The Uruguayan government applied the so-called Departmental Emergency Coordination Centers (Cecoed) in June to attend to emergencies due to the increase in polar cold.^[26]

References

1. "Brasil, testigo de una ola de frío sin precedentes por la tormenta Yakecan". France24. May 21, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
2. "Junín: reportan que cinco niños menores de un año fallecieron por ola de frío en Comunidad Nativa de Parijaro". El Comercio. May 21, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
3. "Ola de frío deja al menos 32 muertos en Cono Sur". Al Día. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
4. "Ola de frío polar: el Servicio Meteorológico alerta por fuerte baja de temperaturas en todo el país". Perfil. May 30, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
5. "Ola de frío extremo y temperaturas de hasta -10°: llegó el invierno y pronostican fuertes heladas para todo el país". Infobae. June 21, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
6. "Nueva ola de frío polar". El Observador. August 16, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
7. "El invierno recrudecerá desde este martes 21". La Razón. June 16, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
8. "Pronostican ingreso de frente frío a La Paz". El Diario. May 7, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
9. "El Alto alcanza récord de -9,8 grados, la temperatura más fría en 24 años". Página Siete. June 1, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
10. "Ola de frío en San Pablo y Rio de Janeiro". Ansa Latina. May 18, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
11. "Se extiende Código Azul por ola de frío en tres regiones del país". Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Familia. July 26, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
12. "Expertos proyectan heladas de hasta -7°C durante este invierno". El Mostrador. June 10, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
13. "Ola de frío y excedentes de lluvia en meses secos del año en el Valle". El Tiempo. February 15, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
14. "Por qué está haciendo tanto frío en Bogotá: el IDEAM explica". Infobae. February 10, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
15. "¿Por qué está haciendo tanto frío en Colombia en este 2022?". Bluradio. June 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
16. "Varias ciudades del Litoral registran temperaturas con sensación de frío". El Universo. June 7, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
17. "La ola de frío y las constantes lluvias se mantienen en Cuenca". Publimetro. July 5, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
18. "Lluvias acompañadas de ola de frío causan problemas en Loja". La Hora. July 5, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
19. "Anuncian ingreso de frío polar para este fin de semana con mínimas de 1°C". La Nación. June 8, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
20. "Lima registró el agosto más frío de los últimos 60 años". Infobae. August 29, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
21. "Invierno 2022: Lima soportó ola de frío nocturno por 20 días consecutivos". Infobae. August 31, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
22. "Senamhi: ola de frío en Lima y Callao se intercalará con días de sol en mes de setiembre". El Comercio. August 30, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
23. "Más oliva pero menos arroz, la ola de frío en Perú pone en riesgo a algunos cultivos". Gestión (Perú). June 26, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
24. "Inumet emitió alerta por ola de frío en todo el país desde el viernes al domingo". La diaria cotidiana. June 9, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
25. "La Organización Panamericana de Salud alerta a Sudamérica por aumentos de casos de gripe". Publimetro. May 19, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
26. "Ola de frío: está en marcha operativo especial en Montevideo e interior del país". El País. June 24, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.