Lately, Bolivia’s capital has been hit by an abnormally strong heat wave. In addition, unusually high levels of UV radiation have been recorded.
The radiation, which can usually only be measured on a scale that goes up to 20, the radiation level has been up to 21, writes the news agency Reuters.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) level 11 is categorized as «extreme». At such a high level, people should avoid direct sunlight.
Almost new global emissions record
– The sun is not normal
– The sun is burning. The sun is not normal, says La Paz resident Segundina Maman to the news agency.
She is among the approximately 1.6 million people who live in the metropolitan area, and who now have to stay in the shadows.
The city, located in the Andes, is considered the world’s highest capital. At 3,640 meters above sea level, the inhabitants are particularly exposed to careful levels of UV radiation. The record in the Andes regions is level 40 on the UV scale, but most often experiences levels between 11 and 17.
– This is something that literally makes the city boil, says risk manager Juan Pablo Palma, who works for the local authorities.
“Wake up, Boris”
Points to climate change
Researchers point to changes in the rainy season as one of the main causes of the extreme radiation levels. This in turn may be due to climate change.
UN Climate Panels latest report states that man-made climate change is already affecting the weather. They point to more frequent extreme weather, including heat waves and extreme drought.
The researchers behind the report are fairly certain that many important agricultural regions will be affected by this. Including parts of Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia.
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