- Lewandowski treble powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Russian activist killed on front line in Ukraine
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- Goal-shy Man Utd have to 'step up', says Ten Hag
- India bowl out Bangladesh for 127 in T20 opener
- Madueke rescues Chelsea in draw with 10-man Forest
- Beckett's belief rewarded as Bluestocking storms to Arc glory
- Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves in razor-edge US election
- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
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- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
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- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
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- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
South America sweats under high temps -- in the middle of winter
Far away from the extreme summer temperatures of the northern hemisphere, Southern Cone countries such as Chile and Argentina are also experiencing record heat, but in the middle of what is supposed to be their winter.
On Tuesday, the mountain town of Vicuna in central Chile hit 37 degrees Celsius (almost 99 degrees Fahrenheit).
"It's been more than 70 years since a temperature like this was recorded" in Vicuna, Chilean meteorologist Cristobal Torres told AFP.
Unusually high temperatures were also recorded 450 kilometers (280 miles) south in the capital Santiago: 24C (75F) on Wednesday, with similar levels forecast for Thursday and Friday.
Meanwhile in Buenos Aires, the temperature exceeded 30C (86F) on Tuesday, making it the highest August 1 temperature since record-keeping began, according to Argentina's National Meteorological Service. The average August temperature in Buenos Aires is usually between 18C (64F) and 9C (48F).
Several cities across Uruguay also recorded temperatures of 30C (86F) on Wednesday.
"What we are experiencing is the combination of two phenomena: a global warming trend due to climate change plus the El Nino phenomenon," said Chile's Environment Minister Maisa Rojas, a climatologist.
"When El Nino ends, the global weather situation should stop being so extreme," she said.
An El Nino event is characterized by increased Pacific Ocean temperatures, causing rainfall, floods and avalanches in western South America, as well as heat waves.
Santiago, Buenos Aires and Montevideo are expected to return to normal temperatures in the coming days, but it is believed that similar heat waves will occur with increasing frequency.
"It is very likely that the heat record will be broken this year (in Santiago), and that is extraordinarily abnormal. Ten years ago we had two heat waves a year and now we are talking about nine," explained University of Santiago climatologist Raul Cordero.
One of the most significant impacts of the warm weather is on snowpacks in the mountains, which are vital for the water supply in Chile's capital.
"Winter heat waves have devastating effects on glaciers and snow," Cordero said.
Rojas also warned about the effects of heat at the poles.
"The ice around the polar areas is at minimum levels," she said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Especially around Antarctica, where at this time of year sea ice grows to reach a maximum in September, it is at a historic minimum."
A.P.Maia--PC