Rio Grande do Sul has been hit by heavy rains and flooding since Monday, with 56 deaths already recorded and more than 32,000 people left homeless. Data suggests this event is the largest climate tragedy in a Brazilian state, but what is behind this phenomenon?
Climate expert Pedro Cortes explains CNN Brazil that this Brazilian state is being attacked by cold fronts coming from the south of the South American continent, which are unable to advance due to a high pressure area in the center of Brazil that acts as a “wall”. This a high pressure zone draws moisture from the Atlantic Ocean into Rio Grande do Sul and the Amazon. This way, the state gets moisture from all directions without the current cold front being able to escape.
“This is what I would call a perfect storm because Rio Grande do Sul is affected by cold fronts coming from the south of the continent, but these fronts cannot move forward due to the high pressure area in central Brazil,” he said. expert. .
Pedro Cortes explains that heavy rain is expected in some areas of Brazil until next Friday. In total, 265 municipalities were affected, more than half of Rio Grande do Sul.
The death toll confirmed until this Saturday already exceeds that recorded in September last year in the Vale do Rio Tacuari region, in the center of the state, when 54 people died during the passage of an extratropical cyclone, something that had not yet occurred. became the largest climate tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul.
Between Friday evening and Saturday morning, rescue teams recovered 17 more bodies, exceeding the maximum recorded last year.
According to the same partial report from the Civil Protection of Rio Grande do Sul, hundreds of people were less seriously injured throughout the state, but 74 people had to be hospitalized. At least another 67 people remain missing.