Argentines cope with record high temperatures

Argentina is going through a tenth heat wave since November, making it the hottest summer on record with extremely high temperatures and little rainfall, conditions that experts say will continue through to fall. The National Meteorological Service (SMN) reported that this is the warmest summer since 1961, when temperature measurement began at the national level.

The season coincides with below-normal rainfall because of the La Niña phenomenon, which has been the cause of an exceptional drought in several provinces. In the Pampas region, center of agricultural production, rains recorded were lower up to 400 millimeters below normal.

In the touristy and poor neighborhood of La Boca in Buenos Aires, some residents installed a canvas pool on the sidewalk to cool off, disobeying official recommendations for responsible use of water due to supply problems because of the drought and power outages. On Tuesday, more than 150,000 users had no electricity in the Argentine capital.