Chile and Argentina among coldest places on Earth as polar anticyclone grips region

3 July 2025

Temperatures across lower South America have plummeted – falling as low as -15° Celsius or 5° Fahrenheit in some places – as a rare polar cold wave grips the region, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on Thursday.

On 30 June, both Chile and Argentina ranked among the coldest places on Earth, outside the polar regions.

Governments in both countries issued early warnings and cold-weather alerts in response to the “polar-origin anticyclone” behind the extreme conditions, WMO said.

The cold snap in South America contrasts blistering heat in the northern hemisphere, especially in Europe, putting lives at risk and further underscores the worsening impacts of climate change.

Heating systems affected
In Mar del Plata, Argentina – about 380 kilometres (240 miles) south of Buenos Aires – where winters are “cool” and temperatures seldom drop below freezing, the unusual cold snap has affected natural gas distribution, primarily used for heating.

More:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165286