Recife Floods Under Red Alert as Brazil Extends Storm Warnings

Overview

• Pernambuco's weather agency put the Recife metro and Zona da Mata under a red alert on Friday, after downpours flooded streets and pushed 24-hour totals near 200 mm in cities like Abreu e Lima, Paulista and Olinda.
• Recife raised its municipal alert to orange as rivers hit critical levels, and Timbaúba declared an emergency and opened shelters for families in flood zones.
• INMET renewed and upgraded warnings across the Northeast, including an orange alert for 55 cities in Rio Grande do Norte and statewide alerts covering all municipalities in Paraíba.
• A cyclone over the South is driving a cold front that is causing severe storms and strong winds there, with forecasters expecting the front to bring cooler, wetter weather to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro over the weekend.
• Paraná and interior Pernambuco stayed under yellow alerts for intense rain and gusts, and civil defense advised people to avoid sheltering under trees, unplug electronics during lightning, and call 199 or 193 for emergencies.