Bomb Cyclone Triggers Severe Weather Alerts and Contingency Plans Across Southern and Southeastern Brazil

A bomb cyclone is bringing severe weather to Southern and Southeastern Brazil, prompting red alerts for great danger in Rio Grande do Sul and the activation of crisis management plans in São Paulo. The phenomenon, described as an extratropical cyclone that intensifies rapidly due to extreme temperature contrasts between air masses, is expected to cause heavy rain, hail, and wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h in some regions. In Rio Grande do Sul, the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) issued a red alert, while parts of Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Mato Grosso do Sul remain under orange or yellow alerts. There are also reports of potential tornado formation in northwest Rio Grande do Sul and western Santa Catarina.

In São Paulo, the state government has established a crisis cabinet to monitor the system, which is expected to bring wind gusts between 70 km/h and 100 km/h, particularly along the coast and mountain regions. In response, the energy distributor Enel activated a contingency plan to reinforce operational teams and customer service channels across 24 cities. Local authorities in Caraguatatuba and Ubatuba suspended municipal school classes on Friday as a preventive measure against winds that could reach 90 km/h. The Defesa Civil has warned residents to avoid standing near trees, power poles, and fragile structures, noting that the wind could cause power outages, fallen trees, and structural damage.

While the most severe impacts are concentrated in the South and Southeast, other regions of Brazil are experiencing contrasting conditions. High temperatures and low humidity persist in the interior, with Cuiabá recording highs near 37 degrees Celsius. In the Northeast and North, weather varies from cloudiness and rain in Recife to isolated afternoon showers in the Amazon region.