Brazil’s Christmas Split With Heat in the Southeast and Storms in the South

Overview

• In Rio de Janeiro, temperatures reached 39°C on Dec. 24 and the city entered Calor 3, with forecasts near 40°C for Christmas Day.
• São Paulo may hit 36°C on Thursday, which Inmet says would set the city’s December record if reached.
• Inmet issued heat wave alerts through Dec. 25 for parts of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and neighboring states as temperatures run up to 5°C above average.
• The South remains under warnings for heavy rain, strong winds and isolated severe events, after a brief tornado caused damage in Farroupilha (RS) on Dec. 23.
• Meteorologists attribute the contrast to an upper‑level cyclonic vortex creating an atmospheric block, with forecasts indicating rain returns to the Southeast and heat eases from Dec. 26–27.