Severe storms swept across Brazil on October 13, 2024, resulting in at least eight fatalities and leaving thousands without electricity. The most affected region is São Paulo, where winds reached 100 km/h (60 mph) and daily rainfall totals peaked at 10 cm (4 inches), according to the National Institute of Meteorology.
Seven deaths have been reported in São Paulo state, primarily due to fallen trees and collapsing structures. Residents described the storms as brief yet extremely intense, leading to widespread blackouts throughout the state.
Energy provider Enel reported that over 1.3 million homes and businesses were still without power as of Sunday, with efforts underway to restore service by Monday. In response to prolonged outages, residents in the Parque São Roberto neighborhood protested after enduring more than 24 hours without electricity.
In Brasília, one soldier died and another was injured due to storm-related incidents at a military police facility. The rain was so heavy that members of Brazil's Congress were forced to use umbrellas indoors as water leaked from the ceiling.
Despite the destruction, many residents in Brasília viewed the storms positively, considering them a necessary reprieve from a record drought lasting over 165 days. This drought, the worst on record, has been linked to climate change and the El Niño phenomenon, contributing to significant wildfires across the Amazon and Pantanal regions.
Government data indicated that wildfires in the Amazon reached a two-decade high for July, raising concerns regarding environmental and public health.