A new heat wave is expected to keep temperatures high throughout Mato Grosso do Sul in the last days of April. Half of the state of São Paulo is also within the affected perimeter, according to an alert released by the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet).
The climate event affects the western portion of São Paulo and will not reach the metropolitan region. According to the alert, four other states may be partially affected. Mato Grosso and Goiás should pay attention to a range that reaches the south of the two states. In Paraná, the temperature rises in northern municipalities. The heat wave also reaches part of the Triângulo Mineiro region.
The alert, published this Saturday (27th), is valid until 6pm on Wednesday (1st). In Inmet’s classification, heat waves occur when the temperature remains, over at least five days, 5 degrees Celsius (ºC) above the expected average for the month.
According to the bulletin, 694 municipalities are expected to be affected. Cities such as Dourados (MS) and Araçatuba (SP) have forecast temperatures of up to 36 ºC, which is considered quite high for autumn.
El Niño
Strong heat waves have hit Brazilian territory since last year, generating record temperatures in some cities. The most affected regions have been the Central-West and Southeast.
According to climatologists, temperature rises are related to El Niño, a phenomenon that occurs in time intervals that vary between three and seven years. In effect since last year, it is approaching its end according to the United States National Atmospheric and Oceanic Agency (Noaa).
Experts also point out the influence of the planet’s global warming, a result of excess greenhouse gas emissions caused by man, which tends to result in increasingly frequent episodes of extreme weather.
Storms
While the Central-West and Southeast record rising temperatures due to El Niño, in the South of the country the phenomenon tends to generate intense rains. This occurs due to changes in the circulation dynamics of air masses. Cold fronts end up staying longer in the South region instead of advancing over Brazilian territory.
In much of Rio Grande do Sul, including the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre and the southern portion of the state, the population must remain alert. Inmet has issued a storm alert for this perimeter, valid until 6pm this Monday (29).
The agency indicates the possibility of rain between 30 and 60 millimeters per hour or between 50 and 100 millimeters per day. In addition, intense winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour and hail may occur. Among possible consequences, Inmet lists the risk of electricity cuts, damage to plantations, falling trees and flooding.
Some cities have already recorded a storm this Saturday afternoon (27). In Santa Cruz do Sul, about 150 kilometers from Porto Alegre, hail fell and houses were damaged. There was also a power outage in some areas of the city. In the west of the state, the municipality of Quaraí recorded an accumulation of more than 170 millimeters in a 24-hour period.
Rains also caused damage in the Northeast of the country. In Fortaleza, three houses collapsed during a storm in the early hours of Saturday (27). There were no injuries. The incident took place in the Conjunto Palmeiras II neighborhood.
