Brazil heatwave: Temperatures of over 50C recorded and many areas on red alert

Temperatures felt as hot as 50C in Rio

Record-breaking temperatures are being felt in Brazil, as a heatwave sweeps the southern part of the country.

Red alerts have been issued for almost 3,000 towns and cities across Brazil as the extreme heat is affecting over a hundred million people.

Rio de Janeiro had temperatures that felt as high as 52.5C, and Sao Paulo - another of Brazil's major cities - saw averages of 37.3C.

This follows heatwaves in the country earlier in the year in August, during the country's winter.

People have been doing all they can to try and stay cool

The Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) has carried out research on the weather in the country, and found that between July and October, temperatures have been higher than the historical average.

The hot weather in the country over the years has lead to the desertification of certain areas of Brazil for the first time in its history, researchers have recently discovered.

This is when fertile land you can grow crops on degrades over time until nothing can grow there anymore, and so has become a desert.

Brazil has been suffering from extreme heat all year

Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more intense in many places around the world because of climate change.

According to scientists, heatwaves are becoming longer and more intense in many places and this is expected to continue whilst humans keep releasing planet-warming greenhouse gases.

Meanwhile, the Earth is currently in an El Niño weather phase, during which time global temperatures typically increase.