Brazil's central, southern regions swelter in scorching heatwave

Brazil's central and southern regions are experiencing a scorching heatwave, with temperatures reaching as high as 43 degrees Celsius in some parts.

The heatwave, which began on Friday, is forecast to persist until March 9, according to Brazil's national meteorological agency.

In Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, temperatures are expected to hit 39 degrees Celsius, while the eastern region of Rio Grande do Sul, the country's southernmost state, is forecast to reach a scorching 43 degrees Celsius, according to the forecast.

Meanwhile, the Sao Paulo carnival has brought relief and joy to the city's residents, who refuse to let the scorching temperatures dampen their spirits.

Brazil's central, southern regions swelter in scorching heatwave

The U.S. dollar strengthened in late trading on Thursday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, went up 0.28 percent to 99.893 at 15:00 (1900 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro fell to 1.1532 dollars from 1.1578 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound was down to 1.3327 dollars from 1.3382 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 159.73 Japanese yen, higher than 159.28 Japanese yen in the previous session. The U.S. dollar was up to 0.7949 Swiss francs from 0.7910 Swiss francs, and it added to 1.3847 Canadian dollars from 1.3808 Canadian dollars.

The U.S. dollar rose to 9.4392 Swedish Kronor from 9.3320 Swedish Kronor.

U.S. dollar ticks up