Tornado strikes Pedro Osório in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, causing widespread damage

A tornado hit the district of Matarazzo in the municipality of Pedro Osório, Rio Grande do Sul, on the afternoon of 6 August 2026. Winds exceeded 100 km/h, destroying roofs, toppling trees and leaving about 250 residents – 65 families – without electricity. The mayor, Ricardo Alves, reported no injuries but confirmed three properties were destroyed and another severely damaged.

The storm was part of a larger severe weather system that produced a “ciclone‑bomba” across the southern state. Strong gusts also damaged infrastructure in nearby cities: a wall of the Pelotas regional prison collapsed, the 39th Fenacan fair in Santo Antônio da Patrulha was halted and the public was moved to a municipal gym, and power outages affected more than 330 000 customers statewide, including the Porto Alegre metropolitan area.

Agricultural logistics are at risk as the tornado and accompanying high winds caused tree falls on roads and damage to rural structures, potentially disrupting the transport of grain and other commodities from one of Brazil’s key production regions.