"Cold Wave in the Southern Hemisphere, Heatwave in the Northern Hemisphere"... Extreme Weather at Both Poles of the Earth

Code Blue Issued in Six Central Chilean Regions as Temperatures Drop Below Freezing
Minus 4 Degrees Celsius at the Start of Winter Threatens the Lives of the Homeless
Bordeaux in France Breaks August Record with 41.9 Degrees Celsius

While the Northern Hemisphere is scorching, the Southern Hemisphere is suffering from severe cold at the very beginning of winter.

Citizens in winter to help understand the article. Pixabay

According to Yonhap News, on the 22nd (local time), the Chilean Meteorological Agency forecast that, due to the influence of high pressure, the temperature in six central regions—including the Metropolitan Region, which includes the capital Santiago, as well as Valparaiso, O'Higgins, Maule, Nuble, and Biobio—would drop to as low as minus 4 degrees Celsius. It also predicted that frost would form in some areas between dawn and morning.

In response, the Chilean Ministry of Social Development and Family issued an emergency weather warning called 'Code Blue' to provide intensive support for the homeless in these areas. 'Code Blue' is a welfare safety net operated by the Chilean government, activated when temperatures drop below zero or fall to 5 degrees Celsius or lower accompanied by snow or rain. This system is also run in major cities around the world to protect the lives of homeless people.

When the alert is issued, public officials are immediately dispatched to the field to provide the homeless with winter clothing, food, and hygiene products, and to transport them to nearby public shelters. The government also plans to operate mobile support teams, strengthen social welfare patrol routes, and open additional shelters.

It is unusual for temperatures in June, at the start of winter in Chile—where the average minimum temperature in June and July is 3 to 4 degrees Celsius—to fall as low as minus 4 degrees. Especially due to the lack of heating facilities and infrastructure, subzero temperatures often threaten the lives of homeless people.

On the 22nd (local time) in Paris, France, as temperatures rose due to a heatwave affecting most of the country, people jumped into the Trocadero fountains next to the Eiffel Tower. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

While the Southern Hemisphere shivers from a cold wave, the Northern Hemisphere is gripped by an early heatwave. On the same day, the temperature in Bordeaux in southwestern France soared to 41.9 degrees Celsius, breaking the record set in August last year. Central Poitiers also recorded 41.2 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record from 1947. The national average day-and-night temperature in France on this day was 29.2 degrees Celsius, the highest ever recorded for June.

The heatwave has resulted in casualties. In France, at least 18 people have died due to heat-related causes as of this day, including a two-year-old and a four-year-old child who died after being left in a car. The French national meteorological agency, Meteo France, issued a red heatwave alert for more than half of the country's departments (administrative regions), affecting approximately 39 million people. More than 1,350 schools were closed.

The heatwave was not limited to France. In Madrid, Spain, temperatures rose to 40 degrees Celsius, and in the United Kingdom, it was projected that the June record high temperature (35.6 degrees Celsius) would be broken this week. Italy issued red heatwave alerts for 12 cities.

Experts have identified the phenomenon known as 'Omega blocking' as the cause of this heatwave. This occurs when the jet stream bends into the shape of the Greek letter Omega (Ω), trapping hot air under the high-pressure system in the middle while cold air settles on either side.

Claire Barnes, an extreme climate researcher at Imperial College London, said, "Hot air is being drawn up from the Sahara in North Africa, causing intense heat," and added, "It is moving extremely slowly, leaving hardly any wind or even the slightest breeze to cool the heat."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.