Brazil’s climate has been compared to that of a desert due to high temperatures and low humidity. A heat wave near winter's end has increased temperatures significantly; some states have seen temperatures as high as 40° Celsius (104° Fahrenheit). Brazil's humidity has been extremely low due to a higher sea surface temperature in the Atlantic Ocean, which decreases precipitation. The high temperature in the country also exacerbates the situation as they cause humidity to evaporate quickly. This is currently happening across over half of the country.
Previsão da umidade relativa no Brasil e na América do Sul dia 10 de setembro - Climatempo
An atmospheric blockade in Brazil is causing the clouds to stay near the south, which means there is a lot of rain in Rio Grande do Sul. Additionally, the clouds don't reach the other areas, causing minimal rain and decreasing the country's humidity. Some cities in Minas Gerais haven't had rain for 140 to over 150 days, the longest drought since 1963 (over six decades ago). States like Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, and Distrito Federal, have been the most impacted by this. In these places, humidity levels have reached as low as 12%, while the Sahara desert's humidity ranges from 14% to 20%. The low humidity can severely impact people's health by causing respiratory problems, fatigue, headaches, and dry nostrils and eyes.
Névoa Seca em BH - Gladyston Rodrigues
This dry season’s low humidity and high temperature have made some cities have dry fog in the morning, as seen in the image above. The dry fog is very similar to smoke and is caused by dust, dryness, and high temperatures. These extremely high temperatures combined with extremely low level of humidity have also been causing several fires throughout the country, which affect the people, infrastructure, and the country's economy, while also making numerous foods, like sugar, beans, and meat, more expensive. This increase in price can be attributed to how the wildfires combined with the lack of rain are making farmers, especially those who plant coffee and soy, have a hard time maintaining their crops.
The dry season has also affected the rivers in Amazonas. The water level is lowering much more than previous years. Even though this is common during this time of year, this time it happened much earlier and is lasting much longer. People who live in the area are very worried because many depend on the rivers to survive. There are several people whose jobs are based on the river and are struggling because of this.
The long period of low humidity in Brazil is making Brazilians go through multiple different struggles. It is not only causing several health problems for the people, but it is also compromising the country’s infrastructure, and economy. While the South is terrorized by rain, the rest of the country is begging to see the sight of it.
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