Cold Front Brings Snow to Southern Brazil and Low Temperatures to Southeast

A strong cold front has brought snow to the Serra Gaúcha region of Rio Grande do Sul and caused temperatures to drop across the center south of Brazil. Snow was recorded on Sunday in the municipalities of Cambará do Sul and São José dos Ausentes, as well as in parts of Santa Catarina. In Gramado, reports indicated the occurrence of graupel and freezing rain. The cold has had practical impacts on Independence Day celebrations; for example, the city of Cambará do Sul moved its civic parade from Monday morning to the afternoon to ensure the safety of participants. Meteorologists warn that frost and negative temperatures will persist in the south through the beginning of the week, with some areas of Rio Grande do Sul seeing minimums as low as -3 degrees Celsius.

In the southeast, São Paulo experienced a cold Sunday with an average morning temperature of 12 degrees Celsius and a low of 8 degrees Celsius in Parelheiros. The municipal government issued a low temperature alert and increased the distribution of blankets to the homeless population. Cold weather is expected to continue through the September 7 holiday, with temperatures in the city ranging between 10 and 14 degrees Celsius and a possibility of isolated rain during the parade at the Anhembi Sambadrome. The Navy issued a warning for high seas with waves up to 2.5 meters along the coasts of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In Rio de Janeiro, temperatures are expected to remain below average with a maximum of 23 degrees Celsius. In Brasília, the holiday forecast includes clouds and rain with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius.

Separately, a windstorm in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, caused three portals to collapse at the Exposete festival on Saturday night. This incident left 13 people injured, following a previous structure collapse at the same event that injured 12 others.