Inmet issues low‑humidity and wind alerts across Brazil

The Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (Inmet) issued a series of alerts in early August 2026 for low relative humidity (below 30%) and potential vendaval (wind gusts of 40‑60 km/h, with isolated reports of up to 125 km/h) affecting hundreds of municipalities in several Brazilian states, including São Paulo, Paraíba, Bahia, Piauí and Rio Grande do Norte. The alerts are classified as yellow (potential danger) or orange (danger) and remain in force for several hours on the day of issuance.

In São Paulo, the State Civil Defense sent SMS warnings to seven regions, advising residents to stay hydrated, avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest periods, and refrain from open‑air burning to reduce fire risk. Similar health recommendations were repeated in other states: drink plenty of water, limit exposure to sun, and avoid sheltering under trees during strong gusts. The risk of forest fires was deemed low, but the dry air increases the likelihood of vegetation desiccation.

Weather forecasts for Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte and the Federal District also highlighted dry conditions, with humidity expected to drop to around 20 % and temperatures reaching up to 33 °C in the capital. These combined alerts and forecasts underscore the widespread impact of an unusually dry air mass over much of Brazil during this period.