Heat Wave and Severe Storms Batter Southeast Brazil as Alerts Extend Through Wednesday

Overview

• More than 60,000 customers lost power in Greater São Paulo during Tuesday night’s storms, with floods, tree falls and rescues reported as hail and wind gusts near 70 km/h hit parts of the city.
• Inmet warnings for thunderstorms and high heat remain in force through late Wednesday across wide areas, including over 600 municipalities in Minas Gerais and 150 in Goiás, with rain up to 50 mm/day and winds of 40–60 km/h in many areas.
• São Paulo’s state civil defense issued a broader alert from Wednesday through Friday, citing potential for intense storms and higher rain totals on Thursday in the east of the state.
• Severe weather produced local damage beyond the capital: 63 km/h winds and hail in Juiz de Fora (MG), downed trees and outages in Alfenas and Uberaba (MG), 70 mm in parts of Itapetininga (SP), alerts in Campos do Jordão, and hail with street flooding in Campo Grande (MS).
• Health services in Rio de Janeiro logged 2,493 heat-related cases from Jan. 9–12, a 29% increase versus the expected median, as a heat alert covers Rio and Espírito Santo with highs near 37 °C in the capital fluminense.