Brazil Extends Red Heat Alert to Tuesday for Six States as Rains Begin to Return

Overview

• Inmet broadened the top-tier heat warning through Tuesday for Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul, citing temperatures at least 5 °C above normal for five days.
• São Paulo set a December record of 37.2 °C at the Mirante de Santana station on Sunday, with interior readings above 40 °C in cities such as Pedro de Toledo, Miracatu and Itaóca.
• Climatempo and MetSul say the block that trapped hot, dry air is losing strength, enabling more widespread showers and daily thunderstorms, especially from late afternoon into the evening.
• Forecasters expect Rio de Janeiro to stay very hot through the first week of January, while Greater São Paulo shifts to a stormier pattern with gradually lower highs and risk of hail, strong gusts and localized flooding.
• Rio’s health department has averaged about 450 heat-related attendances per day, and authorities in São Paulo activated a crisis cabinet and urged water conservation as reservoirs dipped.