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Extreme weather and wildfire risk in Palmas and Amazon

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-24 15:59 UTC → 2026-09-24 23:23 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Authorities in Palmas, Tocantins, have intensified monitoring due to extreme heat and critically low humidity levels. The National Institute of Meteorology issued an orange alert, noting that humidity levels could drop below 20% while temperatures reach up to 39°C. These conditions, linked to El Niño, have increased the risk of forest fires and respiratory or skin health issues. Since the preceding Saturday, officials have responded to nine fire incidents, with smoke visible in several urban areas due to low wind speeds. In response, the Palmas City Hall issued a decree to temporarily reduce working hours for urban cleaning staff from September 26 to October 31, 2026, limiting shifts to six hours daily to minimize exposure to solar radiation. The broader Amazon region is experiencing a similar environmental crisis. In Manaus, temperatures reached a yearly high of 38.6°C on September 22, 2026. Air quality has reached ‘very poor’ status, with fine particle concentrations (MP2.5) hitting 188.5 µg/m³ in the Industrial District I, exceeding safety thresholds. Health authorities (Semsa) have advised vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, and pregnant women, to limit outdoor activities and use masks. This deterioration is driven by smoke from widespread wildfires. Firefighting authorities noted that the number of registered fires in the region increased by more than 300 percent in September compared to the previous year. Most of these fires are attributed to human activity, such as agricultural land clearing and discarded cigarettes. Additionally, river levels are dropping significantly; the Rio Negro at the Port of Manaus fell to 21.26 meters in mid-September, more than three meters below last year’s level. To combat the fire risk, a 120-day ban on targeted agricultural burning has been in effect in Amazonas since September 9. Recent data indicates the crisis is being driven by a ‘Super El Niño’ phenomenon.

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