Heavy Spring Storms Trigger Orange Alerts Across Brazil’s Southeast

Overview

• Inmet issued orange alerts for large parts of the Southeast on Wednesday, forecasting up to about 100 mm of rain in 24 hours and gusty winds that raise the risk of storm damage.
• Local civil‑defense offices in Rio de Janeiro, the Federal District and Espírito Santo issued region‑specific warnings and advised precautions against flooding, landslides and 40–60 km/h wind gusts.
• The Rio municipal monitoring system Alerta Rio reported 163.2 mm of rain in September, the city’s wettest September in roughly 29–30 years, with many neighborhoods already above monthly averages.
• A cold air mass following the front drove temperatures down across the South on Wednesday, with forecasts of near‑0°C readings and conditions favorable for frost in highland areas of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and southern Paraná.
• Meteorologists say El Niño and atmospheric oscillations such as the Antarctic Oscillation are shaping the season, increasing the chance of concentrated heavy rains in the South and Southeast while keeping the Centre‑North and Northeast hot and dry.