Temperatures in Argentina have dropped as low as minus 10.6 Celsius as the country shivers through some of the coldest nights of the year.

Large swaths of northern and central Argentina have seen temperatures well below freezing, with Paraguay and Uruguay also feeling the bite.

Last Friday, temperatures in Paraguay dropped sharply, touching 3C in some locations and cool weather has remained across the region ever since.

The temperature in Paraguay’s capital, Asuncion, only struggled to 15C on Tuesday. One week earlier the temperature had been a sticky 32C.

In Uruguay, Tuesday’s cold weather led to the consumption of electricity reaching a new maximum of 2,063 megawatts. This was covered entirely by renewable sources, according to the state energy company UTE.

The cold snap is due to an intense area of high pressure which is positioned over central Argentina.

Although areas of high pressure usually bring warm sunny days in the summer, in winter, when the sun isn’t as strong, a succession of clear nights allows heat to escape and soil temperatures to drop.

This year is a dramatic contrast to the recent winters in the region, which have generally been shorter and milder than the long term average.