Argentina faces record-breaking heatwave, thousands lose power

Buenos Aires faces record-breaking temperatures above 104°F, affecting power grids throughout the country as demand for energy to cool homes increases.

The high temperatures brought by the heatwave have made Argentina one of the hottest places on Earth, with some parts reaching up to 113°F.

"This is a heatwave of extraordinary characteristics, with extreme temperature values ​​that will even be analyzed after its completion, and it may generate some historical records for Argentina temperatures and persistence of heat," said meteorologist Luca Berengua.

Around 700,000 homes were affected by the power cuts caused by the increased demand for power to operate air conditioners and fans, according to the National Electricity Regulatory Entity (ENRE). Around 43,000 were left without electricity.

 AySA, the city’s drinking water provider, asked people to optimize their use of water because the outage affected its purification system.

"The SMN [National Meteorological Service] issued a warning in anticipation of an extreme heatwave this week, with temperatures that could reach 41°C in the concession area," said electricity distributor Edesur. "We are working to strengthen our network in the face of growing demand."