Heatwave hits Buenos Aires


8:45 PM
30
December
2013
A man throws wood on a fire during a street blockade over power outages in Buenos Aires yesterday. With temperatures passing 38 degrees Celsius, 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, water and power outages blanket large swaths of Argentina’s capital city, sparking protests and placing residents, particularly those in high-rise buildings, at risk.
Agencies/Buenos Aires

Public sector workers in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires were told not to come to work yesterday in an effort to save electricity.
The city has been experiencing power shortages as air conditioning use has soared as residents try to keep cool during a severe heatwave.

Some neighbourhoods have been without power for two weeks, with temperatures rising well over 35 degrees Celsius.

Argentina’s ageing power grid has been struggling to keep up with demand.

Public sector workers in the city were asked to stay at home all day yesterday, while those in Buenos Aires province were told to leave work at noon.

Some neighbourhoods have been without power for 14 days.

Buenos Aires residents are furious about the power cuts.

On Sunday night, electricity demand reached a record high for a non-working day, as residents turned on fans and air conditioning units in an attempt to cool down homes.

City officials held emergency meetings with federal officials on Sunday in an effort to co-ordinate assistance to those left without power for days.

An estimated 11,000 people still had no electricity over the weekend.

Hundreds of thousands had suffered power cuts over the preceding weeks.

In some Buenos Aires neighbourhoods residents took to the streets in protest, banging pots and pans to demand that city officials do more to restore power supply to their areas.

The heat wave is reported to be the worst to hit the city in 40 years.

The National Meteorological Service (SMN) has maintained its red alert due to the heat wave.

Sunday saw another sweltering day in the Argentine capital, with a high of 38°C, while high temperatures are predicted to last until at least today.

Rain is forecast for the evening, although the precipitation is not expected to lower temperatures. Parts of the provinces of Córdoba, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Corrientes and Entre Ríos on Sunday received weather warnings for strong storms, which ended around midday.

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