Paraguay shivers in the coldest night of the year

Paraguay has witnessed its lowest temperature of the year as cold weather continued across the region.

Frost was seen in parts of the tropical country on Saturday night and temperatures have dropped since then.

In the capital Asuncion, the temperature dropped to 2C on Sunday night, much lower than its June average low of 12C.

The surrounding countryside was even colder. The eastern town of Mayor Julio D Otano registered freezing temperature.

It is not only Paraguay that is experiencing the chill. Uruguay, Argentina and southern Brazil have all been suffering from the cold weather.

In Argentina, the low temperatures have caused a surge in demand for electricity.

The electricity network, which often struggles during peak hours, is failing to cope and numerous power cuts have been reported.

In Uruguay, June’s weather has been preceded by a very cold May.

A number of locations, including the northern town of Rivera, suffered their coldest May since 1980.

On Friday, the Uruguayan Institute of Meteorology issued a warning indicating that the cold weather would remain until at least Tuesday.

According to the El Pais newspaper, the cold snap has already turned deadly: at least three people died in fire-related incidents caused by heating devices.

Cold blasts are not unusual across South America in the winter. They are caused by cold winds, called Friagens, from the Antarctic.

However, this particular spell of cold weather is very rare due to its longevity and because it has hit so early in the season.