Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology, Inmet, has placed parts of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná under a red, or maximum-level, storm warning. The two accounts agree on the central threat: rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters in a day, winds above 100 km/h, possible hail, and a risk of major disruption.

The account published from the Brazil Left perspective ties the severe weather to a cold front and low-pressure area over Paraguay, saying the system is intensifying the flow of heat and moisture into the South. It stresses locally specific vulnerabilities: western Santa Catarina is under the highest warning, while parts of Paraná face the prospect of rising rivers and flooding. It also notes that nearly 75% of Santa Catarina’s municipalities are classified as areas at risk of flooding.¹

The Brazil Right account similarly describes the warning as one of “great danger” and underscores that red alerts are Inmet’s highest category, used where exceptional conditions may bring serious damage, accidents or risks to life.² Its emphasis is more on the warning’s geographic reach, identifying the Serra, northwest and northeast of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as several areas of Paraná, among the places expected to see the worst conditions.

Both reports list the same potential consequences: power outages, crop damage, fallen trees and flooding. They also relay broadly identical safety advice from Inmet: disconnect electrical appliances, turn off the main power supply if necessary, protect documents during flash flooding, seek secure shelter and avoid remaining outdoors during the storm’s most intense periods.

Beyond the red-alert zone, both accounts say orange storm warnings extend into other parts of Brazil. The Left-oriented report highlights effects expected in the Southeast, Center-West and Federal District, followed by a marked temperature drop in the South. The Right-oriented account focuses on threatened municipalities in São Paulo and areas of Mato Grosso do Sul, where heavy rain, strong winds and hail are also possible.

[1] Inmet issues red storm alert for Southern Brazil — “The forecast indicates intense rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters during the day, winds above 100 km/h and possible hail.”

[2] Inmet Issues New Red Alert for Storms in Southern Brazil — “The red alert represents the highest degree of danger in Inmet’s weather-warning scale.”