Environment

• Wednesday, January 12th 2022 - 20:05 UTC

  Heat wave could raise temperatures to nearly 50ºC in South America

  

  An unprecedented heat wave is going through South America and some cities in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay have been forecast to be looking out for temperatures around 50ºC, it was reported, while 40ºC seems to have become the new normal.

• Tuesday, January 11th 2022 - 20:19 UTC

  Consecutive fires hit Chilean town of Iquique

  

  A fire in Iquique, in the Tarapacá region, has left some 400 Chileans homeless, including 15 injured Monday, but no fatalities were reported. But when things seemed to be getting back to normal, a second fire not far from the previous one added to the locals' nightmare.

• Tuesday, January 11th 2022 - 20:10 UTC

  No change in sight for downspouts – particularly of the Paraná river

  

  The Paraná River Tuesday recorded once again a minus 46 centimeters downspout in front of the capital of the Argentine Province of Entre Ríos, thus repeating Aug. 18's all-time low, Argentine Coast Guard (Prefectura Naval) confirmed, as the entire country goes through an unprecedented heatwave.

• Tuesday, January 11th 2022 - 09:55 UTC

  Emergency declared at Brazilian state of Minas Gerais due to heavy rainfalls

  

  Heavy rainstorms have left at least 138 cities in a state of emergency in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais due to floods, landslides and damages to the infrastructure.

• Monday, January 10th 2022 - 09:19 UTC

  Lack of rain in southern states will reduce the Brazilian 2021/22 soybean harvest

  

  The hydric deficit and above-average temperatures in southern Brazil and southern Mato Grosso do Sul, prevailing since November have significantly damaged the 2021/22 soybean crop. Brazil’s estimated harvest has been lowered by 11.3 million tons to 133.4 million tons, according to a new survey released this week by AgRural.

• Sunday, January 9th 2022 - 08:29 UTC

  No human or wildlife damages reported after Galapagos volcano eruption

  

  Ecuador's Geophysical Institute has reported the Wolf Volcano, located on Isabela Island, the largest in the Archipelago of the Galapagos, went into eruption early Friday. The volcano, the highest of the Galapagos, is some 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the nearest human settlement.

• Thursday, January 6th 2022 - 08:07 UTC

  Sir Ernest Shackleton's legacy, a new era of Antarctic Exploration

  

  One hundred years on from the death of the famous polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, the UK’s new polar research ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough, will be exploring the very same region where his ship, The Endurance, was lost in the pack ice – heralding a new age of Antarctic exploration.

• Thursday, January 6th 2022 - 00:16 UTC

  Paraguayan President's “deerest” pet kills Army NCO

  

  A Paraguayan soldier has died after having his chest pierced by a deer belonging to President Mario Abdo Benítez's private wildlife collection, it was reported Wednesday.

• Wednesday, January 5th 2022 - 10:07 UTC

  Argentine Patagonia hit by devastating fire covering over 80,000 hectares

  

  About 80,000 hectares of Argentine Patagonia came under fire during the weekend and the smoke has even reached the city of La Plata, a little over 1,000 kilometers northeast of the epicenter in the Puerto Madryn region, in the province of Chubut.

• Monday, January 3rd 2022 - 09:27 UTC

  Mar del Plata fears offshore oil wells may end up damaging the city's economy

  

  Argentina's government has issued an environmental impact declaration for offshore oil drilling off the coast of Mar del Plata which has prompted voiceful objections from local residents, particularly Mayor Guillermo Montenegro of the opposition Juntos por el Cambio (JxC), while Federal Energy Secretary Darío Martínez welcomed the decision.