F2 tornado hits Reserva, Paraná as cold front rattles Southern Brazil

The Sistema de Tecnologia e Monitoramento Ambiental do Paraná (Simepar) confirmed that a tornado rated F2 struck the rural community of Imbu in Reserva on 28 June. Winds reached about 200 km/h, destroying 11 houses, damaging vehicles and vegetation, and affecting roughly 50 residents, of whom 10 were left displaced. Meteorologist Reinaldo Kneib noted, “O levantamento preliminar identificou várias assinaturas características de um tornado… árvores de grande porte arrancadas, galhos arremessados a dezenas de metros e uma placa de sinalização lançada a mais de 150 metros.”

Simultaneously, a strong cold front moved across the southern states, bringing heavy rain, hail and gusts up to 80 km/h. In Santa Catarina, five municipalities declared a state of emergency as more than 340 homes were damaged and 463 people were temporarily displaced. The front also caused temperatures to plunge below zero in parts of Rio Grande do Sul and the highlands of Santa Catarina, prompting frost warnings.

The broader weather system generated alerts for strong winds, possible flash floods and landslides in Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and even reached São Paulo, where the state civil defense warned of rain and cooler temperatures through the weekend.