Severe thunderstorms hit Rio Grande do Sul, leaving over 3 million without power, Brazil
Severe thunderstorms hit parts of Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday, December 1, 2024, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and large hail. The worst affected was Rio Grande do Sul where about 3 million people were left without power.
Image credit: NOAA/GOES-East, Zoom Earth, The Watchers. Acquired at 23:40 UTC on December 1, 2024
A cyclone forming along the coast of Uruguay, produced a line of severe thunderstorms over northern parts of the country around 15:00 LT (18:00 UTC) on December 1, moving up into Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The storms reached Brazil around 19:00 LT, bringing very strong winds and heavy rains.
According to data provided by Met Sul Meteorologia, the storm produced winds exceeding 100 km/h (62 mph), accompanied by heavy rains and large hail.
Around 21:30 LT, the line was located south of Porto Alegre (population 1.3 million), the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, where authorities issued a risk of heavy rain and strong to intense winds.
The storm reached the capital around 23:00 LT, with wind gusts exceeding 80 km/h (50 mph).
Around midnight (LT) on Monday, December 2, strong winds produced by the storm left around 800 000 customers without power across the Rio Grande do Sul — or about 3 million people.
The worst of the storm was over by 01:00 LT on Monday, December 2, with rain still raining in several places.
The events pavilion at Atiilio Pasa Park in Arroio do Tigre, in the central-mountain region of Rio Grande do Sul was destroyed, injuring at least 25 people, according to Rádio Sobradinho.
Additionally, violent gale causes extensive damage in the Carazinho region, in the northern parts of Rio Grande do Sul.
Before the storm reached Brazil, Argentina’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) issued a maximum alert for provinces west of Rio Grande do Sul and Uruguay and even warned of tornadoes, which it had never done before, according to Met Sul meteorologists.
Winds of over 100 km/h (62 mph) were registered in the Argentine province of Santa Fe, the SMN reported.
Severe damage was reported in the town of Cayastá, and SMN meteorologists are investigating the possibility of a tornado.
Uruguay’s official meteorological service (INUMET) has also issued the highest level of alert on its scale for departments in the north of the country, bordering Rio Grande do Sul.
Preliminary information up until the beginning of the evening indicated damage due to strong winds in areas in the Uruguayan interior.
INUMET station at Artigas Airport recorded winds of 104 km/h (65 mph).
References:
1 Temporais com vendavais e granizo avançam em noite de alerta no RS – MetSul – December 1, 2024
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.
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