Brazil – Snow in over 80 cities – Roads and schools closed
“Should greatly disrupt agriculture”
The mass of polar air that passed through Argentina before coming to Brazil at the end of last week dropped snow in at least 87 cities of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
The cold wave, which reaches South, Southeast, Midwest, and up to two northern states of the country (Rondônia and Acre), is the longest in 13 years, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet).
“Should greatly disrupt agriculture”
“There were 17 days in all. Now, there are already seven days with temperatures below zero, and certainly this will continue until Friday, which should greatly disrupt agriculture, especially citrus plantations and lettuce, and bring problems health,” says meteorologist Lucia Gularte of Inmet.
Among the places hit by the snow are two capitals: Curitiba and Florianópolis. In Curitiba, the record snow made on Tuesday by Simepar Meteorological Institute is the first since 1975.
Snowflakes and freezing rain were seen in several neighborhoods of Curitiba, and in cities such as Araucaria, Campo Largo, Lapa and Pinhais, including the Afonso Pena International Airport.
In Santa Catarina, Epagri / Ciram snow recorded in the region of the Morro Cambirela in Palhoça, in Florianópolis. It is the first occurrence of the kind in 29 years, also seen in other cities in the metropolitan region, as Alfredo Wagner, Angelina and Burnt Ranch, and several parts of the state.
Altogether, at least 57 cities in Santa Catarina had snow.
Trees frozen
Until 6:30 this Tuesday, the lowest temperature was in Bom Jardim da Serra, in the mountainous region, with -7 ° C. In São Joaquim, in the same region, did -4 ° C, leaving frozen trees.
Snow in the South also closed federal highway (BR-116, BR-280 and BR-282) and state (SC-350, SC-390 and SC-280) in Santa Catarina, because of ice buildup on track.
Also, snow and extreme cold caused cancellation of classes at San Joaquin. A homeless man died in Biguaçu, in Florianópolis, due to the cold. And two cities in the state – St. Joachim and St. Joseph, in Florianópolis – are in an emergency situation to purchase blankets and supplies to the poorest families.
Largest snowfall in decades
According to weatherman Marcelo Schneider of Inmet, the snowfall in Santa Catarina and Paraná is one of the largest in decades. In some cities, such as Curitiba, the last occurrence was 38 years ago.
“The accumulation of snow in southern Paraná is also rare. So what draws attention is the duration of cold days, the permanence of the polar air and snow, not the absolute minimum temperature,” explains Schneider.
Cold in the Midwest and North.
“In midwinter, São Paulo had not yet downloaded 10 ° C. And in 70 years, this only happened five times here. Reached the windchill 6 ° C,” says Schneider. What draws attention is the low maximum temperatures, around 11 ° C between this Tuesday and Wednesday.
