From South Sudan to Brazil, the extreme heat and lack of water are affecting half the globe

South Sudan is facing a humanitarian crisis amid violence, economic instability, climate crisis and endless flows of people fleeing internal conflicts, while schools are closed due to the extreme heat wave. Brazil is struggling with a perceived temperature of 62.3 degrees

Since yesterday, Monday, March 18, South Sudan has decided to keep schools closed “indefinitely” to protect children from the incoming record temperatures and has advised parents to keep all children indoors as temperatures are expected to soar up to 45°C (113°F).

South Sudan, one of the youngest nations in the world, is particularly vulnerable to the climate crisis, with the now “classic” heatwaves rarely exceeding 40°C (104°F).

Many more are expected, but this is added to an already dramatic situation, dictated by an endless civil conflict and the terrible humanitarian crisis due to economic instability and the influx of people fleeing.

Suffocating heat: 62.3°C felt in Rio de Janeiro

It took just one day, in the midst of a strong heatwave hitting parts of Brazil, for the city of Rio de Janeiro to reach a new record of thermal perception: according to the Rio Alert System, last Sunday, perceived temperatures reached 62.3°C (144.1°F) at the Guaratiba station.

Thus, at the same time, Rio’s municipal alert system issued a warning to the population, asking to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and to hydrate. To try to escape the stifling heat, people flocked to the famous beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. But also to the Tijuca Park