Brazil cold front brings frost, floods and corn harvest delays
A strong polar air mass moved across Brazil on 22‑26 June, bringing a sharp drop in temperatures and widespread rain. In the South, states such as Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul recorded temperatures at or below zero, with records of –7.3 °C in Bom Jardim da Serra (SC) and –3 °C in General Carneiro (PR). Frost and geada spread through valleys and highlands, prompting alerts from meteorological agencies.
The front also intensified rainfall in São Paulo, prompting the city’s emergency management unit to declare an alert for potential flooding as several neighborhoods recorded impassable water. Road ice warnings were issued for mountainous highways in Santa Catarina.
Agricultural production was affected: the cold snap delayed the second‑crop (safrinha) corn harvest in the Centre‑South, where only 11 % of the planted area had been harvested, below the five‑year average. Unexpected rain and low temperatures risk increased grain moisture, higher drying costs, and logistical bottlenecks for ports in the Arco Norte and Southeast corridors. Livestock producers were advised to improve thermal comfort for poultry and swine.
In the Centre‑West, Cuiabá saw temperatures fall to 14 °C, the coldest period of the year so far, leading the municipal civil defence to issue health and safety recommendations. Overall, the cold front generated multiple regional alerts for frost, flooding, road safety and agricultural disruptions across Brazil.