After the heat and humidity, heavy downpour struck south-eastern Brazil on Sunday as a strong cold front moved northward into the region. Before this cold front struck, the maximum temperature was in the low to mid 30’s on Saturday from Asunción, Paraguay to Porto Alegre and Brazil. The maximum temperatures are expected to fall by about 10°C on Monday because of this cold front. In Buenos Aires and Brazil, a maximum temperature of 34°C was recorded on Friday.
The front moved northward producing heavy thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds and hail in some areas. Due to heavy thunderstorms, floods have been reported from far northern Argentina into Eastern Paraguay, Northern Uruguay and south-eastern Brazil. Over 100 mm of rain, including 116 mm at Monte Caseros in Corrientes province of Argentina, was recorded over the weekend.
In the south-eastern African country of Mozambique, five people died in floods in the capital Maputo, after days of torrential rain, according to Mozambican authorities. Moreover, around five homes were also swept away due to excessive flooding. The Mayor of Maputo visited the affected neighborhoods. People residing in flood-prone areas of the coastal city will be moved to safe zones, according to the city's health and social welfare councillor.
In the neighbouring city of Matola, about 300 people were left homeless after 19 houses collapsed and another 370 were flooded, the local news agency reported. Hundreds of people have also been displaced in the southern city of Xai Xai. Mudslides have damaged roads making it difficult to reach the affected areas. The water was up to waist height as localites were forced to evacuate.
Earlier in October this year, the Mozambican government announced that it had set aside $32 million of its national budget to deal with flooding and avoid possible disaster. Mozambique is frequently hit by floods. In 2000 the country experienced its worst flood, in which more than 800 people were killed and hundreds of thousands were rendered homeless when waters severely submerged whole towns. Last year, flooding in the north and central parts of the country killed at least 55 people and displaced nearly 170,000 people.
Skymet meteorology division will keep its readers updated on the flood situation in the region.
