In mid-January 2022, the Southern Cone had a severe heat wave, which made the region for a while the hottest place on earth, with temperatures exceeding those of the Middle East. This extreme weather event was associated with the Atlantic anticyclone, a particularly intense La Niña phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, and the regional effects of climate change. Several cities had high temperatures over 40 °C (104 °F), setting records for hot days. In addition, thousands of hectares were destroyed by wildfires across the region.