Authorities reported that at least eight individuals have lost their lives due to heavy rain in Brazil, as storms battered various regions of the country following an intense drought that ignited an unprecedented surge of wildfires.
Since Friday, central and southeastern Brazil have been subjected to fierce winds reaching speeds of 100 km/h and daily rainfall accumulating up to 10 cm, according to the National Institute of Meteorology.
In Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state, seven fatalities occurred, primarily caused by falling trees and collapsing walls due to the ferocious winds and rain, as stated by the state’s civil defense.
Widespread blackouts affected large areas of Sao Paulo city, with energy provider Enel reporting that approximately 1.6 million residences and businesses remained without power.
Reports from news outlets indicated that officials in the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil’s Congress’s lower house, had to resort to using umbrellas indoors as rainwater seeped through the roof.
Nevertheless, many residents in Brasilia welcomed the heavy rain as a much-needed relief after enduring over 165 days of drought.
Recently, Brazil has faced its most severe drought on record, which experts attribute to climate change.
This dry spell has exacerbated wildfires throughout the vast nation, devastating the Amazon rainforest, causing burn injuries to jaguars in the Pantanal wetlands, and suffocating major urban areas with smoke.
