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Extreme temperatures have caused various damages to society around the world. In Brazil, an example of that is the impact of cold and heat waves on public health. In order to analyse the temporal and spatial variability of such events, this study applied a single criterion to identify cold and heat waves. The study collected data on the events from daily temperature records from 264 weather stations over 56 years (1961–2016). The following parameters were used to describe each event: frequency, duration, severity, and intensity. The results showed that in all the Brazilian regions the frequency of heat waves increased and that of cold waves decreased between the years 1961 and 2016. The number of heat waves per year, notably, was greater than that of cold waves, and the mean duration of heat waves was about 1 day longer than that of cold waves. Additionally, it was found that cold waves were more severe and intense in areas often reached by cold air masses with temperatures below zero in most of Southern Brazil. In terms of severity and intensity of heat waves, two different configurations were observed: They were more severe in the Southern region and more intense in the Midwestern region of the country, and not so expressive in the Northern and Northeastern regions. Those findings justify the need for continuous updating of public policies focused on sectors often affected by cold and heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heatwaves have been getting more intense and frequent in Brazil. They affect public health, mainly outdoor workers, who are vulnerable to them; therefore, public policies focused on this population must be improved. The aim of the present study was to show the spatial behaviour of the maximum wet‐bulb globe temperature (WBGT) in central–south Brazil, at domain 34.5–14.8° S latitude and 61.7–37.3° W longitude. The air temperature under heatwave influence is often extreme in this domain and it can exceed 40°C. The WBGT is based on simulated and observed meteorological data. Numerical simulations were conducted for 9 hr (day shift) in each of the 28 days under heatwave influence. The simulated and observed WBGT values were compared to test the model skill assessment. The maximum WBGT of each grid point took into consideration all the schedules and simulation days. Based on the skill results, the simulated WBGT performance was good, mainly in areas recording a higher WBGT; outdoor workers subjected to moderate and heavy workload must be subjected to control measures or stop working in most central–south domains during periods under heatwave influence. In the most critical cases, outdoor workers should be prevented from heavy workload throughout the entire work shift because they are exposed to almost 8 hr of WBGT higher than 30°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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