Brazil News
RIO DE JANEIRO – Historic high temperatures baked Rio de Janeiro Wednesday, where huge crowds hit the beaches and sporadic blackouts brought air conditioning to a halt in some areas. The official high temperature reached a record 43.2 degrees C. (about 110 degrees F.) with a wind chill of 47 degrees C.
The high temperature recorded Wednesday is the highest since 1915, when the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) began taking the measurement. Previously, the record high temperature stood at 43.1 degrees C., recorded in Bangu, in the West Zone of the city.
Residents noticed even higher unofficial temperatures reported by public thermometers. Just outside Maracana stadium, which will host 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2014 FIFA World Cup games, a thermometer reported 49 degrees C. Another image, taken in downtown Rio on Avenida Presidente Vargas and posted to Facebook, showed 50 degrees C. — if correct, that would be an astounding 122 degrees F.
The cooling system at Santos Dumont Airport, in downtown Rio experienced problems Wednesday, the hottest day of the year. Airport management said equipment gradually returned to normal after technicians made repairs to electrical generation units.
Tom Jobim International Airport, on Governor’s Island, plunged into complete darkness at around 9 p.m. According to passengers, emergency generators activated but did not supply enough power to return operations to normal. Airliners arriving around the time the outage had to wait up to an hour on the tarmac.
Residents of Governor’s Island, Jacarepagua and Santa Crux, in the West Zone of Rio, complained that they have been without electricity since nightfall. In Curucica, a group annoyed with the lack of electricity set fire to mattresses and tires on Rua João Bruno Lobo, at the corner of Rua Vale das Rosas. Military Police (PM) arrived on the scene to control the explosive situation.
Around 12 p.m., the neighborhoods of Jardim Botânico and Gávea, in the South Zone, lost power. The power company said there was a problem with the line that serves the area.
