São Paulo's Weather, Unpredictability and the Homeless

By V. Macedo

Spring Ahead

Have you noticed how much the weather has been changing lately? One week during this Winter could be extremely cold, while the next could be unbelievably hot, and sometimes there is nearly 20 degrees Celsius difference in a single day. This past week has also seen a heated debate on Climate Change and its impacts on our future. Should we be worried about these changes? At this stage, we are even able to relate our recent experiences to the climate crisis! However, we should ask ourselves whether there is anything that can be done to reduce the hardships of the homeless in facing another problem.

We were all wondering, will this week be as cold as the last one? (Oh no, will I have to wear tights again?) During the weekend of 14th-15th of September, São Paulo’s temperature beat the record of being the coldest in the last three years: last Saturday (14 September) it reached the staggering temperature of 7.4°C, and Sunday (15) saw even colder temperatures, reaching 6.5°C. These numbers were officially measured in the Mirante de Santana, in the Northern area of São Paulo City. Data shows that there was a cold front moving towards the Atlantic Ocean since last Wednesday. To our relief, temperatures should now be slowly going back to normal for this time of the year (between 26°C and 18°C), as we have witnessed since last Thursday.

What is being done about it?

The government has decided to provide 272 additional vacancies to shelter the homeless, with four sports clubs being used as temporary shelters. Social Assistance will bring more than 10 vehicles to move people to their accommodations. Workers were assigned to help bring homeless individuals into the shelter.

Weather forecast (week of 29 September to 5 October)
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Temperature will rise during the week of 29th September to 5th October, fluctuating between 26 to 18°C. There is a very low chance of raining with the maximum of 10%. This week will not be very windy, but a light breeze will take place between 15:00 to 18:00 of each day.
Spring started on Monday, September 23rd, according to the Brazilian standard calendar. Hopefully, climate is aware of that and will follow its regular course again, so that we can all experience pleasant and stable temperatures once more.