Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina: The Hottest Place In South America
Rodarte/Wikimedia CommonsComodoro Rivadavia set a South American record in 1905.
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 city of Comodoro Rivadavia set a record when temperatures reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
A bustling port city in southeastern Argentina, Comodoro Rivadavia’s dry and arid environment was initially only suitable for sheep farming. But the discovery of petroleum in the area transformed the city’s fortunes. Today, Comodoro Rivadavia has a population of almost 200,000 people.
Though temperatures can soar to over 100 degrees during the city’s hot season, which lasts from December until March, Comodoro Rivadavia is generally more temperate. The average temperature during this time is the 70s. And during cooler times of the year, some days barely get above 50 degrees.
Gonce/Wikimedia CommonsDowntown Comodoro Rivadavia, where temperatures are usually much easier to bear.
As such, Comodoro Rivadavia’s 120-degree record is somewhat strange for the city, and it came during a particularly intense heat wave. But temperatures across Argentina can get high. The capital of Buenos Aires, 900 miles north of Comodoro Rivadavia, recently recorded a sizzling temperature of 106 degrees.
Most people don’t go to Comodoro Rivadavia as heat tourists, like they might for Death Valley or the Flaming Mountains. Rather, visitors tend to hang out at the city’s beach resorts, and may pop into its National Museum of Petroleum. In the end, Comodoro Rivadavia is an unusual entrant on the list of the hottest places on Earth.
