Flash floods hit Sao Paulo by Matt Taylor
Heavy rain and hail pounded Sao Paulo on Monday, triggering flash floods and widespread disruption.
The city’s main airport of Congonhas was closed briefly due to the bad weather, cars were swept off roads and residents were seen taking refuge on roofs and wading through waist high water.
Sao Paulo is often affected by thundery summer storms, but it was the intensity of the storm which induced the flooding. The city’s drainage system was overwhelmed, and it simply couldn’t cope with the volume of rainfall.
The wet season in southern Brazil lasts from October to April, and this year, the region has been particularly badly hit from floods and mudslides, with the death toll estimated at near 150.
In Minas Gerais State, 49 cities have been declared disaster areas following severe flooding and mudslides, and in Rio de Janeiro State, up to 44,000 people remain homeless in the wake of similar floods. In stark contrast, Rio Grande do Sul State, in the far south is also in a state of emergency but here, it is due to a period of ongoing drought.
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