The summer of 2019 is one of the hottest in history, and the heat is not only felt on the skin, but also in the pocket of families. A number of products mostly consumed in this season increased their prices above the inflation of January, which rose 0.32% according to the IPCA - Extended National Consumer Price Index, released on Friday (8) by the IBGE.

For example, it is the case of fruits, which increased 2.26% in December 2018 and 2.38% in January 2019. The price of these products usually jumps in January and decelerates along the following months.

André Almeida, analyst of the IBGE´s National System of Consumer Price Indexes, explains that the prices of fruits increase in the summer due to factors related with the supply and demand, and that higher temperatures increase the demand for tropical fruits, like pineapple: "on the supply side, difficult harvesting during the rainy season decreases the availability of the product in the market. Concerning the demand, these products are more consumed in the hotter months, pressing the prices".

Heat also causes a demand for household appliances. Air conditioners increased 4.37% in January, while ventilators rose 3.10%. "Stores in Rio de Janeiro had the stock of these products sold out due to the high demand", says the IBGE analyst.

On the other hand, other items like excursion had their rises concentrated during the school holidays. This item rose 1.08% in December and 6.77% in January, tending to decelerate in the following months, like in previous years. Conversely, the demand for food away from home follows holidays and Carnival, so the peak may be either in February or March, depending on the calendar.