The south-east of Brazil and in particular the state of Rio de Janeiro is hit by violent storms and record rainfall after a heat wave. A natural disaster which has left thousands homeless and at least 20 dead so far, according to President Lula who spoke on X – pointing the finger at climate change.
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In the pouring rain, rescuers try to find victims in the rubble – the situation is now particularly chaotic in the town of Mimoso del Sul north of Rio, where entire neighborhoods are under water, vehicles swept away by the torrents. Only the roofs of the houses still emerge from the waves.
These scenes of desolation recall those of Petropolis where rivers of mud poured down the steep streets of the city. Some 241 people died in this tourist town in 2022, following heavy rains.
Read alsoBrazil: after a heat wave, a storm sows death in the southeast
Such tragedies intensify with climate change », writes Brazilian President Lula in a message published last night on the X platform. He expresses his sympathy with the relatives of the victims and assures: “ we work (…) to strengthen civil protection and assistance from the federal government in times of crisis, as well as to increase resources for prevention “.
O sofrimento das famílias que perdem relatives, bens e suas casas em decorrência das chuvas forts tocam o país. Tragedies that intensify with climatic conditions. We are working on or before entering the Civil Defense and assisting the federal government in… https://t.co/lYIEoCHWKL
— Lula (@LulaOficial) March 23, 2024
Lula also expressed his sympathy to the relatives of the victims and assured that the government was working with local authorities to “ protect, prevent and repair flood damage “.
The cold front that caused this severe storm arrived after a heat wave and temperatures felt above 60 degrees in Rio. Weather services expect further record rainfall in the mountains and north of the city in the coming days.
Forecasts from the National Institute of Meteorology had anticipated a “severe” storm, particularly in Rio, with precipitation of 200 mm of rain per day between Friday and Sunday.