Cold wave drives sub‑zero temperatures across southern Brazil

A polar air mass has swept through Brazil, producing an intense cold wave in the southern states. In Santa Catarina, cities such as Criciúma recorded 0.4 °C and Florianópolis saw a low of 3.3 °C, while the highlands recorded temperatures as low as –8.5 °C in Bom Jardim da Serra and –8.2 °C in Urupema. Paraná experienced freezing conditions in General Carneiro, where a lake surface formed ice and temperatures fell to –2.8 °C with wind chill reaching –8.4 °C. Rio Grande do Sul also saw the possibility of snow in its higher elevations. The front has extended northward, lowering temperatures in Goiás, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and the Federal District, with minima of 10 °C in Chapadão do Céu and 14 °C in Goiânia. Strong winds of 50–70 km/h amplify the cold sensation in several locations. Municipalities have opened shelters and distributed blankets for people experiencing homelessness, and authorities warned of hypothermia risks and frost‑related hazards.