Argentina roasts in record-setting heat wave
With temperatures up around 45°C in parts of the South American nations, hundreds of thousands of people were left without electricity when power grids failed in and around populous capital city Buenos Aires.
"I came home and we were without electricity and the house was a furnace," said Jose Casabal, 42, who whisked his children off to find somewhere to cool down. "So I took them off to their grandmother's house to swim in the pool."
The temperatures in Argentina, where dry hot weather driven by the La Nina weather pattern, is already hitting crops, meant that for several hours it was the hottest place on earth, taking over from parts of Australia that cooled during its night.
Local leaders warned residents to stay out of the sun in the hottest part of the day, wear light clothes and stay hydrated.
For some it raised questions about climate change and more extreme weather. Argentina in recent years has seen unusual amounts of wild fires around its main river delta and the major Parana River drop to a nearly 80 year low level.
"I was born here in a temperate climate and I have seen how the temperature changed over the years, and it is not what we're used to," said Marta Lorusso, 59, an architect.
"This combined with the low pressure really kills me, I can't stand it. I drink liters of water and do what I can. And on top of it all, we are without electricity. I don't know what to do."
