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Ciclone‑Bomba Causes Severe Damage in South as Rio Prepares for Violent Winds and Police Tackle Overnight Attacks

Authorities have halted classes and activated emergency centers in response to forecasts of damaging gusts and to limit travel during peak wind hours.

Overview

  • A deep extratropical cyclone generated gusts above 120 km/h in the South, produced a tornado in Pedro Osório and left towns with roof damage, power outages and hundreds of people sheltered, officials said Friday.
  • State and city agencies in Rio de Janeiro declared high‑wind alerts, suspended classes and ordered earlier dismissals while utilities and transport operators put contingency teams on standby to prevent outages and service disruptions.
  • Criminal groups closed major roads in the Zona Sudoeste overnight by using seized buses and a municipal refuse truck as barricades and setting fires, and police later cleared the avenues after intense shootouts that left at least one person hospitalized.
  • Law enforcement reported several arrests in coordinated actions across states, including the capture of Luiz Alberto 'Bolão' in Lapa, the detention of a suspected Comando Vermelho leader in Baixo Sul da Bahia who was trying to flee to Rio and the arrest of convicted offenders in a large operation in Salvador.
  • The municipal resilience agency GeoRio signed a 25‑year no‑cost climate consultancy with the Fundação Cacique Cobra Coral led by medium Adelaide Scritori to advise on minimizing impacts, a move that revives a long‑standing and contested partnership and is likely to draw public scrutiny over its role in official emergency planning.