Christmas Heat Grips Brazil as Rio Escalates Alerts and South Faces Severe Storms

Overview

• Rio de Janeiro moved to Calor 3 after a 39°C peak on Wednesday, with health authorities warning all 92 municipalities as temperatures near 40°C on Christmas Day.
• Inmet’s heat alerts remain in effect for São Paulo and Rio, and São Paulo could touch 36°C, which forecasters say would challenge the city’s December record.
• Storm warnings continue in the South, with Inmet projecting very high rainfall totals—over 200 mm in parts of Rio Grande do Sul and up to 150 mm in Santa Catarina—along with strong winds and hail.
• Meteorologists attribute the pattern to a high‑altitude cyclonic vortex and subtropical blocking that sustain extreme heat in the Southeast while supporting convective systems over the South.
• Authorities report concrete impacts, including a brief tornado that damaged homes and a school in Farroupilha (RS) on Dec. 23 and heat‑related strain in Rio, as civil defense advises hydration and storm safety precautions.