Brazil is experiencing an unusually intense springtime heat wave that has endangered lives, caused power outages and exacerbated drought in the Amazon. The dangers of the punishing heat were underscored last week when many fans fainted at Taylor Swift’s Eras tour concert in Rio de Janeiro.
The heat wave has shattered records. On Sunday, in the southeastern town of Araçuaí, the temperature rose to 112.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest ever recorded in the country.
Nevertheless, thousands of Swift’s fans have braved the extreme weather to watch the singer perform. Known for her energetic hourslong performances, Swift has drawn concerns from some fans who say she appeared to be drenched in sweat and out of breath in videos of her Brazil shows.
More than 1,000 fans fainted at the Friday concert in Rio de Janeiro, where the heat index reached almost 140 F, according to CNN Brasil. And a 23-year-old fan died after falling ill at the concert, though the cause of death hasn’t been announced.
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Roughly 60,000 people attended the event, The New York Times reported. Swift postponed her show the next day, citing the “extreme temperatures.” She returned to the stage in Brazil’s second-largest city Sunday, when temperatures were significantly lower.
Researchers say the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events are due to climate change, and a strong El Niño pattern is likely partly responsible for the heat wave in parts of South America.
Brazil’s stifling temperatures come on the heels of a hotter-than-average winter and early spring, according to the country’s National Institute of Meteorology. High temperatures in Brazil and other countries in the Southern Hemisphere have already surpassed typical summer temperatures.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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