While city officials have urged residents to temporarily leave Kyiv if possible, zoo animals have no such option. Among them is Tony, a 51-year-old gorilla, one of the zoo’s most well-known residents.

“You can tell people to go to the countryside, but I can’t say that to Tony,” said zoo director Kyrylo Trantin. “He doesn’t have a grandmother in the countryside where he could stay.”

To keep Tony’s enclosure at a steady 20 degrees Celsius, staff feed firewood into a stove up to five times a day. Generators run constantly to provide heat to other animals, including horses, bison and an elephant.

Power cuts have also disrupted water supplies, but zoo workers have prepared for emergencies. Staff member Viktoriia Sluzhenko said the zoo maintains enough water reserves to operate independently for up to three days. The elephant alone requires about 150 litres of water each day.

“Every day is a battle for warmth and power,” Trantin said. Trantin, like many others are juggling the responsibility of caring for animals while also coping with the same hardships affecting the rest of the city.

The alert also extends to Mato Grosso do Sul and areas of Paraná, affecting more than 1,000 municipalities nationwide. In these areas, temperatures have risen up to 5 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average, increasing health risks for the population.

Footage filmed by Viory on Sunday, December 28, showed residents in São Paulo seeking relief from the heat by drinking cold beverages, resting in shaded areas and using water fountains in public parks. Inmet forecast maximum temperatures of at least 34°C in the city, with conditions remaining oppressive throughout the weekend.

Some residents said the heat had become difficult to endure, prompting families to spend time outdoors near water sources. Others said they were avoiding beaches due to unsuitable conditions, instead turning to open urban spaces to cool down.

On Friday, December 27, São Paulo recorded a temperature of 36.2°C, the highest for December since records began in 1961, according to local authorities. In response to the heatwave, the state government warned of increased water consumption and urged residents to save and reuse water whenever possible.

They discovered that marriage rates rise after extreme weather events, especially in rural areas where livelihoods depend heavily on agriculture.

The reasoning behind this is tied to economic and social pressures. When floods destroy crops or droughts lead to food shortages, families may feel they can no longer afford to support all their children. In this situation, marrying off a daughter can seem like a way to reduce financial strain.

Some families also worry about protecting their daughters' reputations and safety in the unstable conditions that often follow disasters, for example, in temporary shelters where harassment or violence may be a risk.

Unfortunately, these early marriages come with long-term consequences. Girls who marry early are more likely to drop out of school, face health risks from early childbirth, and have fewer opportunities for work. This doesn’t just affect individuals; it also slows down a country’s economic development by reducing women’s participation in education and the workforce.

While some families may see early marriage as a form of protection in uncertain times, it can ultimately lead to deeper vulnerabilities for both individuals and nations.