Environment

Heavy rains hit Brazil after years of drought, killing 8 people

Brazil has experienced its worst drought in recent months since records began, which experts say is linked to climate change.

At least eight people have been killed in Brazil due to heavy rains, authorities said Saturday, as storms hit parts of the country following a severe drought that caused a record wave of wildfires.

Since Friday, central and southeastern Brazil has seen winds of up to 62 mph (100 kph) and up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of daily precipitation, according to the National Meteorological Institute.

Seven people died in Sao Paulo state, Brazil’s most populous state, mainly due to falling trees and walls caused by heavy winds and rain, according to the state civil defense agency.

Power was out in large parts of Sao Paulo, and energy company Enel said about 1.6 million homes and businesses were still without power.

In the capital Brasilia, one soldier was killed and another injured when a tree fell while removing a flag in front of the gendarmerie headquarters, the local command said.

Media outlets reported that staff in Brazil’s lower house, the lower house of Congress, had to use umbrellas indoors because rainwater leaked through the roof.

Still, many people welcomed the downpour as a relief in Brasilia, which had recorded more than 165 days without rain.

Brazil has experienced its worst drought in recent months since records began, which experts say is linked to climate change.

The dry weather has sparked fires across the vast country, tearing through the Amazon rainforest, scalding jaguars in the Pantanal wetlands and suffocating major cities with smoke.

© 2024 AFP

Source: Heavy rains hit Brazil after long drought, killing 8 people (October 13, 2024) From https://phys.org/news/2024-10-dead-heavy-thrashes-brazil-drought.html 2024 Retrieved October 13,

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