Extreme heat and fires linked to climate change in Brazil

Between August 22 and 25, 2024, over 60 million people in Brazil faced extreme temperatures and wildfires exacerbated by climate change. High temperatures were forecasted to be five times more likely due to global warming, with anomalies reaching up to 10°C above normal in São Paulo. Wildfires have burned over 760,000 hectares in the Amazon and 1.3 million hectares in the Pantanal, with climate change increasing Pantanal fire intensity by 40%. On August 20, PM2.5 pollution levels reached 11 times the World Health Organization's recommendations, causing increased respiratory illnesses and affecting 10 Brazilian states as well as Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru.

• Between August 22 and 25, 2024, more than 60 million people in Brazil were expected to face extreme temperatures, with forecasted highs made five times more likely due to global warming caused by burning fossil fuels.
• Temperature anomalies are expected to be significantly above normal, with the central region (Centro-Oeste) seeing temperatures 7°C above normal, northern regions (Norte) up to 6°C above normal, and parts of São Paulo potentially reaching 10°C above the usual average.
• Climate change-driven heat has contributed to extensive wildfires, with over 760,000 hectares burned in the Amazon and 1.3 million hectares in the Pantanal this year; a study indicated that climate change made Pantanal wildfires 40% more intense.
• Air quality deteriorated significantly on August 20, with PM2.5 cancer-causing pollution reaching levels 11 times higher than World Health Organization recommendations, leading to increased reports of sinusitis, pneumonia, and asthma.
• Smoke from the Amazon and Pantanal fires spread across at least 10 Brazilian states and into Peru, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

APA

Climate Central (2024). Extreme heat and fires linked to climate change in Brazil. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/Brazil-august-22-2024

Chicago

Climate Central. Extreme heat and fires linked to climate change in Brazil. 2024. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/Brazil-august-22-2024.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Extreme heat and fires linked to climate change in Brazil |date=22 August 2024 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/Brazil-august-22-2024 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2024extreme, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Extreme heat and fires linked to climate change in Brazil}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/Brazil-august-22-2024}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }