Rivadavia, Argentina: The Hottest Place In South America
Wikimedia CommonsThe town was founded on the banks of the Bermejo River, which now flows into the Teuco River.
South America is filled with hot climates, but it was Argentina that became the continent’s hottest place in 1905. It was then that the town of Rivadavia set a record when temperatures reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
The town sits in the country’s northwest province, Salta, with a population of over 8,000 people. The town is also near the Tropic of Capricorn, or the southernmost latitude where the sun can be seen directly overhead, which accounts for some of the region’s weather.
The other big factor is the Andes Mountains to the west, which primarily impact the distribution of the region’s rainfall. Rivadavia has a hot semi-arid climate, meaning the town has very hot summers and mild winters.
Wikimedia CommonsRivadavia is about 50 miles away from the province’s capital of Salta, pictured above.
Though temperatures can soar to over 100 degrees during the city’s hot season, which lasts from December until March, Rivadavia isn’t always so hot. On average, the hot months see temperatures in the 70s and 80s. In the cool season, the daily mean temperature hovers in the 60s and 70s.
While Rivadavia’s weather can sore to scorching heats, it can also hit sub-freezing lows. The town has hit as low as 22.5 degrees in the middle of their winter in July.
That being said, the 120-degree record is uncommon, but not unheard of for the town. Other months have reached similarly scorching heights since 1905, including a high of 115 seen in both January and February.
Many locations across Argentina can get unpleasantly hot. The capital of Buenos Aires, which is over 1,000 miles southeast of Rivadavia, recently recorded a sizzling temperature of 106 degrees.
