South Brazil Enters Maximum Alert as Severe Storms Threaten Rio Grande do Sul

Overview

• State and national agencies have raised warnings to orange and red levels for Rio Grande do Sul and told residents to prepare for a peak of severe weather on Saturday and Sunday.
• Forecasts from Inmet and the state's Defesa Civil project very intense short-term rainfall, with some models and the CMDEC saying local totals could top 100 mm and in extreme scenarios approach 250 mm.
• Meteorologists link the threat to a low-pressure system over Argentina and Paraguay interacting with a blocking high over the South Atlantic, which strengthens the Jato de Baixos Níveis that pumps Amazon heat and moisture southward.
• Officials warn of large hail, sustained very strong gusts of about 70–90 km/h even outside storms, risk of tornadoes that cannot be ruled out, flash floods, power outages and structural damage, and advise following Defesa Civil guidance and avoiding travel in affected areas.
• The same Atlantic blocking high is keeping the Southeast states dry and warmer while Inmet has renewed yellow rain alerts for 25 municipalities in Pernambuco where heavy hourly rates raise localized flood and landslide risk.