• Historic floods hit Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    A powerful atmospheric river began affecting Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil on April 29, 2024, resulting in massive flooding across the region. By early May 6, 2024, the storm affected 334 of the state’s 496 cities, including the capital Porto Alegre, claimed at least 75 lives, left over 100 people missing, and impacted more than 1 million residents. This severe weather event is described as the most disastrous in the state since 1941, surpassing previous records in terms of both scope and damage.

  • Extremely heavy rains hit Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, causing destructive floods and landslides, Brazil

    Heavy rains in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state on March 22, 2024, resulted in at least nine fatalities, with Petropolis being the hardest hit. A staggering 270 mm (11 inches) of rain fell within 24 hours, significantly impacting the region and leading to numerous incidents, including landslides and house collapses. The storm then moved to the neighboring state of Espírito Santo, dropping more than 200 mm (7.8 inches) of rainfall within 24 hours.

  • Rio De Janeiro hits record 62.3 °C (144.14 °F) thermal sensation, Brazil

    Guaratiba, a neighborhood on Rio De Janeiro’s west side, recorded a thermal sensation of 62.3 °C (144.14 °F) at 09:55 LT on Sunday, March 17, 2024, marking the highest value since the Rio Alert System’s inception in 2014. The intense heat, exacerbated by high humidity, has led to increased beach and pool attendance amidst reports of water shortages.

  • Tropical Storm “Akará” forms off Rio de Janeiro as first TS in South Atlantic since 2019

    On February 16, 2024, the Brazilian Navy identified a subtropical depression ESE of Rio de Janeiro, which intensified into Tropical Storm “Akará” by February 19. Akará is the first named tropical storm to develop in the South Atlantic Ocean since Iba in 2019 and the basin’s first named storm in February since Bapo in 2015. The system is expected to continue intensifying, but remain well away from Brazil.

  • Deep M6.5 earthquake hits Acre, Brazil

    A strong and deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 hit Acre, Brazil at 09:38 UTC on January 28, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 609 km (378 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.

  • Deep M6.5 earthquake hits Amazonas, Brazil

    A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 hit Amazonas, Brazil at 21:31 UTC on January 20, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 629 km (390 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.7 at a depth of 615 km (382 miles).

  • Severe floods and landslides hit Rio de Janeiro, claiming 11 lives, Brazil

    At least 11 people have died in Rio de Janeiro after a month’s worth of rain hit parts of the city, turning roads into raging rivers, the fire department confirmed on Sunday, January 15, 2024. The northern parts of the city were particularly affected, with incidents of landslides, drownings, and electrocutions reported.