Intense rainfall has triggered extensive flooding across the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, submerging hundreds of towns in waterlogged misery. Officials have reported a death toll of at least 90 individuals, while approximately 150,000 residents have been forced from their homes due to the deluge.
Several towns remain cut off from aid, and the prospects of locating over 130 missing persons are dimming with each passing moment. As if the current plight weren’t dire enough, forecasts predict further heavy rains throughout the week, compounding the already dire situation in the region.
On the other side of the world
Meanwhile, amid national elections in India, voters and politicians alike are struggling in sweltering heat that soared to a staggering 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46.3 degrees Celsius).
An unforgiving heatwave across Asia has prompted school closures in the Philippines, fatalities in Thailand, and unprecedented temperature records in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Myanmar. Record-breaking temperatures, particularly during nighttime when relief seems elusive, have gripped various regions of Africa. Houston faced devastation from flooding, and the United States witnessed the second-highest number of tornadoes ever recorded for the month of April.
In a world increasingly accustomed to erratic weather patterns, recent days and weeks have brought environmental extremes to an unparalleled level. Some climate scientists find it challenging to recall a time when such widespread and intense weather events occurred simultaneously across the globe.
According to scientists, as global temperatures rise, the likelihood of experiencing extreme weather and climate events, such as record-breaking heatwaves and rainfall, increases. Additionally, climate change is altering weather patterns, causing systems characterized by heavy rainfall and high temperatures to linger over specific areas, while also causing shifts in the behavior of the jet stream, explained Alvaro Silva, a climate scientist affiliated with the World Meteorological Organization.
Compounding the intensified impacts of human-induced climate change is the current waning of El Niño—a naturally occurring warming of segments of the central Pacific Ocean that influences global weather patterns. This follows a three-year period of La Niña, its cooler counterpart, remarked Silva.
Although various factors contribute to the recent surge in extreme weather events, climate change emerges as the most significant driver, as stated by Silva. The challenge lies in the fact that our infrastructure and urban landscapes are designed for 20th-century climatic conditions, but climate change is ushering in higher temperatures and increased precipitation, noted Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University.
Moreover, Nandyala and Kadapa, located in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh, reached an all-time high temperature of 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46.3 Celsius). During campaigning in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, federal minister Nitin Gadkari collapsed due to heat-related issues.
Toward the end of April, certain areas in northern Thailand reached temperatures of 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 Celsius), while Chauk township in the hottest region of Myanmar experienced a record-breaking high of 118.8 degrees Fahrenheit (48.2 Celsius).
Numerous African nations are grappling with intense heat as well. with temperatures reaching 117.5 degrees Fahrenheit (47.5 Celsius) in Kayes, Mali. The capital of Niger experienced its warmest May night on record, while Burkina Faso’s capital recorded its highest nighttime temperatures for any month. In Chad, located in north-central Africa, temperatures were projected to remain above 114 degrees Fahrenheit (45.6 Celsius) throughout the week.
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group have linked the deadly heatwave experienced across West Africa last month to human-induced climate change.
In Ciudad Altamirano, Mexico, temperatures approached 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Celsius), marking record-breaking heat across Latin America. Bolivia witnessed its hottest May night on record, while Brazil experienced its hottest day in May.
According to Francisco Aquino, a climatologist at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, the unprecedented heat in Brazil, which affected major cities like Sao Paulo, prevented a rainstorm from reaching the country’s southern region, resulting in fatal consequences. Aquino further explained that there was a significant inflow of humidity from the Amazon’s “flying rivers,” or air currents transporting water vapor.
The Southern State of Rio Grande do Sul is grappling with its worst flood in history, as indicated by local authorities, with a death toll of at least 90 individuals, nearly 204,000 displaced, and 388 municipalities affected.
In Porto Alegre, a metropolitan area with a population exceeding 4.4 million, the floodwaters inundated downtown areas, the international airport, and numerous neighborhoods. Authorities have stated that it will require several days for the water levels to diminish.
Over in the USA, Houston continues to contend with the aftermath of heavy rainfall that persisted for several days, necessitating the rescue of over 600 individuals from floodwaters across Texas, including 233 people in Houston alone. Approximately 23 inches of rainfall occurred just northeast of Houston.
Meanwhile, April witnessed the United Arab Emirates experiencing its heaviest recorded rainfall, resulting in flooding on sections of major highways within the desert kingdom and impacting Dubai International Airport, which serves as the world’s busiest hub for international travel.
