Rains Begin to Ease Brazil Heatwave as Inmet Keeps Red Alert for 1,284 Cities

Overview

• Inmet’s maximum red alert remains in force through Monday for 1,284 municipalities, covering all of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and parts of Paraná, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul and Santa Catarina.
• São Paulo set a new December mark at the Mirante de Santana conventional station with 36.3°C, while the automatic reading hit 37.2°C; Inmet reported anomalies up to 7.8°C above normal in São Paulo and 7.6°C in Rio.
• Health impacts mounted in Rio with about 450 heat-related attendances per day, as São Paulo’s metro-area reservoirs fell to 26.2% and the state launched water‑saving advisories and a crisis cabinet starting Monday.
• Climatempo and MetSul say fronts and higher humidity will spread rain and frequent storms across the Centre‑South from December 29 into early January, trimming peaks though Rio stays very hot early in the week; the South faces heavy rain, strong winds and flood and landslide risk.
• Inmet characterizes the event as a heatwave with temperatures at least 5°C above average for roughly five days, warning of health risks such as dehydration and respiratory aggravation and advising hydration, shade and reduced outdoor exertion in peak heat.