Heat waves roasted Argentina in January
Ground temperatures soared to more than 129 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius) in Argentina this past January. The extreme heat sparked widespread blackouts throughout the southern part of the country. Air temperatures were scorching as well. During that week in mid-January, Buenos Aires experienced temperatures of 106.7 degrees Fahrenheit (41.5 degrees Celsius). This was the second-highest reading in the city in more than a century of records, the Buenos Aires Times reported.
These alarming temperatures briefly made Argentina the hottest place on the planet. The heat knocked out power to about 700,000 people in the metropolitan area, Reuters reported. The blackouts also affected the local water purification system, which prompted the water agency to ask residents to conserve water that week.
