At least eight people have died as heavy rains lashed Brazil, bringing destruction after a prolonged period of severe drought that fueled record-breaking wildfires.
Since Friday, central and southeastern Brazil have been battered by storms with winds reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour and daily rainfall amounts of up to 10 centimeters, according to the National Institute of Meteorology.
Seven deaths were reported in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state, where most fatalities resulted from falling trees and walls toppled by violent winds and torrential rain, the state civil defense agency reported.
Massive blackouts have plunged large parts of Sao Paulo city into darkness. Energy company Enel stated that approximately 1.6 million homes and businesses remain without electricity.
In the capital city of Brasilia, a soldier lost his life and another was injured when a tree fell as they were removing a flag in front of the military police headquarters, according to local authorities.
Reports indicate that inside the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Brazil’s Congress, officials had to use umbrellas indoors due to rainwater leaking from the roof.
Despite the destruction, many residents in Brasilia welcomed the downpours as a relief after enduring a record stretch of over 165 days without rain.
Experts attribute Brazil’s recent severe drought—the worst since records began—to the impacts of climate change. The arid conditions have fueled widespread fires, devastating the Amazon rainforest, causing burn injuries to wildlife such as jaguars in the Pantanal wetlands, and enveloping major cities in smoke.
With Brazil facing extreme weather patterns swinging from severe drought to deadly storms, attention is increasingly focused on the urgent need to address climate change impacts in the region.
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At least 8 dead as heavy rain thrashes Brazil after long drought
cgtn.com
