City Buenos Aires. The Argentine capital simmered like never before. Residents and surrounding crowds waited for a miracle called rain that never fully arrived; only a few showers and a chill dotted the sky, while the sun rose with an ominous glow at the threshold of autumn. This kind of weather anomaly had not been seen in the country for 35 years.
The hottest summer on record left its mark. Temperatures stretched above 40 degrees in March, scorching skin and draining energy across the population. Tiny parasitic insects known as thrips, usually found on animals and birds, found their way to humans during the peak heat. There was no repellent strong enough to deter them. Yet this was only one consequence of an unprecedented summer that triggered wildfires, melted glaciers, and significant crop losses due to sustained drought. All of this raised food safety concerns for an agricultural exporter nation.
The scientific community notes that the climate crisis is closely tied to these extreme temperatures. Reduced water availability intensified the drought’s impact.
decline in exports
Wheat and soybean sales dropped 28% from 2022 levels. The contrast between the 2022 January harvest and the early 2023 performance is stark, with a 61% swing. Early estimates show an overall loss of about $19,000 million, equivalent to three percentage points of GDP. crop health ranks as the worst in four decades, according to a key report. The anticipated macroeconomic stability promised by the Peronist government has eroded in pieces.
Experts argue that the drought pattern is linked to the La Niña current from the Pacific, which has recurred for three years. Climate change is not aloof from this repetition.
Alberto Fernández’s administration moved to reduce the tax burden on the agriculture-export sector. “Everyone bears responsibility to work together to relieve rural areas and help them weather this climatic situation,” stated Economy Minister Sergio Massa. The International Monetary Fund provided a modest support in light of exceptional circumstances: the Central Bank’s quarterly reserve target was reduced by $3,000 million due to drought and a drop in exports.
Summers keep getting hotter and hotter, a reality that many now accept as permanent. #Global warming
— Journalists and the Planet (@PxP_LAC) March 2, 2023 (citation: PxP_LAC social feed, 2023)
a hot city like never before
Argentina’s monoculture worries spill into the city as the countryside bears the losses. Carolina Vera, a physician in Atmospheric Sciences and a contributor to the United Nations IPCC, reminded that summer temperatures above 34 degrees in Buenos Aires are unusually high. It has become part of the new normal. “Status breaks all records,” says José Luis Stella of the National Meteorological Service. Some days were ten degrees hotter than anticipated.
The National Meteorological Service issued a “Special Report #9 for heatwave and high temperatures,” noting that much of central to eastern Argentina exceeded the historical record. Greenpeace Argentina highlighted the incident with a public post in mid-March 2023, underscoring the unusual heat pattern in the region. (citation: Greenpeace Argentina, 2023)
According to the World Weather Attribution project, climate change increased the probability of a heatwave-like event for Argentines by about sixty times and raised average temperatures by roughly 1.4°C. The electric grid was stressed on the busiest days, yet there were no widespread power outages. In some neighborhoods, electricity remained unavailable for more than two weeks. With schools starting under record heat, administrators urged students to bring water, while city leaders advised cautious attendance to avoid heat-related health risks.
The same special report from the SMN reinforced that much of mid-east Argentina surpassed prior historical highs, a finding echoed by Greenpeace Argentina in their mid-March update (citation: Greenpeace Argentina, 2023).
a burning future
World Weather Attribution warns that high temperatures will persist, becoming more frequent and intense. Climatologists expect a worsening pattern as greenhouse gas buildup continues. Dizziness, fainting, nausea on public transport, abdominal discomfort, headaches, fatigue, mood swings, and concentration difficulties are projected to become more common among residents. Even autumn promises warmth that will make spring seem shy by comparison.
Most Argentines are starting to notice. A Greenpeace study reported that 68% of respondents expressed concern about the climate crisis, linking it to deforestation (77%), excessive garbage (60%), and fossil fuel use (49%). Livestock and extensive agriculture, identified by experts as a fragile pillar of the country’s agricultural model, were not among the primary concerns of respondents.