Brazil had an average of 100 consecutive dry days per year from 2011 to 2020. That’s 20 more dry days compared to the period from 1961 to 1990, representing a 25% increase. This is according to a study by Inpe (National Institute for Space Research) conducted at the request of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, released earlier this month.

A dry day, for the purposes of the study, is defined as any 24-hour period with precipitation below 1mm of rain. The research used data from 11,473 rain gauges spread across the country to calculate rainfall volumes and dry periods over the decades. Additionally, temperature data collected from 1,252 weather stations were also used.

With this, Inpe conducted analyses on maximum temperatures, heatwaves, and precipitation rates in Brazil. The results show that the increase in drought was accompanied by other changes that made the country's climate more extreme. For example, the number of heatwave days per year increased from 7 to 52 in three decades. Meanwhile, maximum temperatures rose by up to 3°C in 60 years.