Climate of Brazil explained

The climate in Brazil varies considerably from mostly tropical north (the equator traverses the mouth of the Amazon) to temperate zones south of the Tropic of Capricorn (23°26' S latitude).

Temperatures

Temperatures north of the Tropic of Capricorn, especially in low-altitude areas, are high, averaging above, but not reaching the summer extremes of up to in the temperate zones. There is little seasonal variation near the equator other than the rainfall frequency. Average temperatures below the Tropic of Capricorn are mild, ranging from to .

The highest temperature officially registered in Brazil was in Araçuaí, Minas Gerais state, on 19 November 2023.[1] The lowest temperature officially recorded in Brazil was in Caçador, Santa Catarina state, on 11 June 1952.[2] However, the summit of Morro da Igreja, a mountain situated in the municipality of Urubici, also in Santa Catarina, recorded a temperature of on 30 June 1996 unofficially.[3] There are frosts south of the Tropic of Capricorn during the winter (June–September).

Although most of Brazil lies in the tropics, more than 60 percent of the country's population live in areas which are cooled either by altitude, sea winds or polar fronts. Some coastal cities of Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Salvador can get extremely hot, with temperatures exceeding 40C in heat waves. For example, Rio reached 43.2°C on 26 December 2012.[4] However, plateau cities such as São Paulo, Brasília and Belo Horizonte have mild climates, and the southern cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba have mild winters, but while Curitiba has a warm summer due to the average elevation of, Porto Alegre has a hot summer, with an average elevation of only .

Despite the popular image of the Amazon Rainforest as a hot and humid region, temperatures of more than are unusual. The annual average temperature in the region is 22to, with not much variation between the warmest and the coldest months. Even so, on occasions polar air masses influence the climate, causing the temperature to drop below 18°C.[5] The rainforest town of Cruzeiro do Sul has recorded temperatures below 2.5C twice.[6]

The hottest part of Brazil is the northeast, where temperatures of more than 38 °C (100 °F) are frequently recorded during the dry season between May and November. Along the Atlantic coast from Recife to Rio de Janeiro, average temperatures range from 23to. Inland, on higher ground, temperatures are lower, ranging from 19to. South of Rio the seasons are more defined and the range of temperatures significantly wider, with the annual average falling between 17and.The cities of Belo Horizonte and Brasília have moderate temperatures, usually between 15and, because of their elevation of 852m (2,795feet)[7] and 1172m (3,845feet) respectively. Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador on the coast have warm climates, with average temperatures of each month ranging from 23°C27°C, but enjoy constant trade winds. The cities of São Paulo, Curitiba, Florianópolis and Porto Alegre are known to have a subtropical climate, which is within contrast with central and northern Brazil. Furthermore, it is to note that the winters often are more similar to that of Florida, and temperatures seldom fall below freezing in winter.

Precipitation

Precipitation levels vary widely throughout Brazil. Most of Brazil has moderate rainfall of between 1000and a year, with most of the rain falling in the summer (between December and April) south of the Equator. The Amazon region is notoriously humid, with rainfall generally more than 20000NaN0 per year and reaching as high as 30000NaN0 in parts of the western Amazon and near Belém. It is less widely known that, despite high annual precipitation, the Amazon forest has a three- to five-month dry season, the timing of which varies according to location north or south of the equator. For example, the dry season in Boa Vista is different to that of Manaus.[8]

High and relatively regular levels of precipitation in the Amazon contrast sharply with the dryness of the semiarid Northeast, where rainfall is highly erratic and there are severe droughts in cycles averaging seven years. The Northeast is the driest part of the country, with erratic rainfall and crops struggling to grow. For example Quixeramobim receives only 499 mm of rain annually.[9] The region also constitutes the hottest part of Brazil, where during the dry season between May and November, temperatures of more than 40°C are common. However, the sertão, a region of semidesert vegetation used primarily for low-density ranching, turns green when there is rain. Most of the Center-West has 1500to of rain per year, with a pronounced dry season in the middle of the year. For example, Campo Grande has a dry season from June to September and a wet season for the rest of the year.[10] [11] In the wet season in cities like Campo Grande, flooding can be a problem because of intense rains that can happen in a short period.[12] Flooding has also been a major issue in cities without a dry season such as Porto Alegre.[13] [14] [15] The South and areas of the East are without a distinct dry season. Brazil has experienced deadly and devastating droughts in some years.[16] [17] [18]

Brazil's most intense rain falls around the mouth of the Amazon near the city of Belém, and also in the upper regions of Amazonia where more than of rain fall every year. For example, Belém receives of rainfall annually.[19] The warm weather lets many plants grow here. Most of Brazil has moderate rainfall of between 1000and a year, most of it coming between December and April.

Snowfall

See also: Snow in Brazil. Snow in Brazil often happens in winter in the mountains of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná, and is rarer at lower elevations. It is possible, but very rare, in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Mato Grosso do Sul. The greatest snowfall recorded in the country occurred in Vacaria on 7 August 1879, when more than 2m (07feet) of snow accumulated on the ground.[20] Other significant snowfalls where more than 1m (03feet) of snow accumulated happened on 20 July 1957 in São Joaquim[21] and 15 June 1985, in Pico das Agulhas Negras.[22] São Joaquim has the most snowy days of any settlement in Brazil.[23]

Snow has been recorded in Curitiba during several years,[24] [25] but has not accumulated significantly since 1975.[26] In 2013, snow hit several municipalities, including Curitiba.[27] [28] Snow has also occurred in Porto Alegre, but is very rare.[29] [30]

Extreme weather

See also: Hurricane Catarina. Because the South Atlantic basin is generally not a favorable environment for their development, Brazil has only rarely experienced tropical cyclones. The country's coastal population centers are considered less burdened with the need to prepare for cyclones, as are cities at similar latitudes in the United States and Asia. In 2011, the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center started assigning official names to tropical and subtropical cyclones that develop within its area of responsibility, which is to the west of 20°W, when they have gained sustained wind speeds of 65km/h and over.[31]

Hurricane Catarina is the first and only South Atlantic tropical cyclone to have reached hurricane strength, and impacted Santa Catarina as a Category 2 storm in 2004.[32] [33] It reached sustained wind speeds of 155 km/h (100 mph) and a pressure of 972 millibars.[34] The hurricane damaged shipyards and several crop fields, and poorer people were affected the most.[35] At least 2,000 people became homeless as a result of the storm.[36]

Other weaker subtropical cyclones can also cause damage. In 2015, Subtropical Storm Cari caused flooding and landslides to some cities in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.[37] In 2020, the front associated with Subtropical Storm Kurumí played a role in damaging floods and mudslides, with heavy rainfall. Large amounts of rain fell in Greater Belo Horizonte, triggering a landslide which killed three people and left one person missing.[38] Later that year, Subtropical Storm Mani affected the state of Espírito Santo, with landslides leaving over 400 people homeless.[39] In 2021, Subtropical Storm Ubá killed fifteen people and caused flooding and damage.[40] [41] [42] Over 30 municipalities in Bahia decreed a state of emergency because of the storm.[43] In May 2022, Subtropical Storm Yakecan killed two people in Brazil and Uruguay.[44] [45] Because of severed power cables, over 220,000 people were affected by power cuts as a result of the storm.[46]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Calor de 44,8°C: Araçuaí (MG) tem o dia mais quente no histórico de medições do Brasil, diz Inmet . G1 . 2023-11-20 . 2023-11-20.
  2. Recordes de frio em SC, EPAGRI/CIRAM, retrieved May 15, 2013.
  3. Sibéria brasileira no sul do Brasil ("Brazilian Siberia in the South of Brazil"), Fantástico, July 18, 2006.
  4. Web site: 26 December 2012 . Temperatura desta quarta no Rio é recorde histórico, diz Inmet . 8 September 2012 . G1 Rio de Janeiro . pt.
  5. Web site: Frente fria deve atingir Manaus e temperatura pode cair para 18°C . G1 Amazonas . 24 July 2013 . 9 April 2015 . pt . https://web.archive.org/web/20150223200631/http://g1.globo.com/am/amazonas/noticia/2013/07/frente-fria-deve-atingir-manaus-e-temperatura-pode-cair-para-18c.html . 23 February 2015 . live .
  6. Web site: Station Cruzeiro do Sul. Meteo Climat . French . 20 October 2018.
  7. Web site: 20 November 2017. Estudo realiza medição de altitudes em Belo Horizonte. 15 November 2021. Prefeitura Belo Horizonte.
  8. Book: Revista Tocantinense de Geografia. Universidade Federal do Tocantins. 10.22241/2317-9430/rtg.
  9. Wernstadt, Frederick L.; World Climatic Data; published 1972 by Climatic Data Press; p. 102.
  10. Web site: Análise das precipitações em alguns municípios de Mato Grosso do Sul. https://web.archive.org/web/20190219202048/http://www.sbmet.org.br/cbmet2010/artigos/549_52925.pdf. 2019-02-19. live.
  11. Web site: Campo Grande climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Campo Grande weather averages - Climate-Data.org. en.climate-data.org. 2019-02-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20190220063220/https://en.climate-data.org/south-america/brazil/mato-grosso-do-sul/campo-grande-3912/. 2019-02-20. live.
  12. Sant'Anna Neto. João Lima. Andrade. Vicentina Socorro da Anunciação. 2012. Extremo climático e riscos na cidade de Campo Grande-MS/Brasil. Territorium: Revista Portuguesa de riscos, prevenção e segurança. 19. 33–42. 10.14195/1647-7723_19_4. 1647-7723. 2019-02-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20190220063320/https://digitalis.uc.pt/pt-pt/node/106201?hdl=35857. 2019-02-20. live. free.
  13. Web site: Veja como será a primavera no Rio Grande do Sul . GZH Ambiente . Portuguese . 18 September 2018 . 12 July 2021 . subscription.
  14. Web site: Primavera deve ter início chuvoso e temperaturas amenas no Rio Grande do Sul . g1.globo.com . 22 September 2017 . 12 July 2021 .
  15. Web site: Temporais, enchentes e solidariedade: RS sofreu com chuvas históricas em 2015 . sul21.com . Portuguese . 31 December 2015 . 12 July 2021 .
  16. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/6/07-1331_article.htm "Drought, Smallpox, and Emergence of Leishmania braziliensis in Northeastern Brazil"
  17. http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s8857.html "Ó Gráda, C.: Famine: A Short History"
  18. http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/W8514E/W8514E29.htm "Inland fishery enhancements"
  19. Web site: Precipitação Acumulada Mensal e Anual (mm) . 1981–2010 . pt . Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology . August 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220201081446/http://www.inmet.gov.br/webcdp/climatologia/normais/imagens/normais/planilhas/Precipitacao-Acumulada_NCB_1981-2010.xls . live . February 1, 2022.
  20. http://www.clicrbs.com.br/zerohora/swf/especial_neve/index.html Especial A Neve e os gaúchos
  21. http://www.overmundo.com.br/overblog/maior-nevasca-da-historia-do-brasil-faz-50-anos Maior nevasca da história do Brasil faz 50 anos
  22. Web site: Parque Nacional do Itatiaia . 2014-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141204103952/http://www.brazadv.com/brasil/itatiaia.htm . 2014-12-04 . dead .
  23. Web site: São Joaquim é a cidade que mais neva no Brasil, diz autor – CLMais Correio Lageano. clmais.com.br. 19 August 2018 . pt-BR. 2018-10-11.
  24. Web site: SYNOP: SUMMARIZED DATA FOR CURITIBA . Mundomanz. 25 July 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150712081521/http://www.mundomanz.com/meteo_p/byind?countr=BRASIL&ind=83840&year=2013&month=07&day=24&n_days=3&time=all&l=1&trans=PA&action=display. 12 July 2015. live.
  25. Web site: METAR: Weather History for Curitiba, Brazil . Weather Underground. 25 July 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235705/http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/SBCT/2013/7/23/DailyHistory.html?theprefset=SHOWMETAR&theprefvalue=1. 2 December 2013. live.
  26. Web site: Povo . Gazeta do . Curitiba amanhecia branca de neve em 17 de julho de 1975. Relembre em fotos . 2022-03-30 . Gazeta do Povo . pt-BR . 15 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211215003926/https://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/curitiba/neve-curitiba-1975/ . live .
  27. Web site: Historic snowfall in the cover of main newspapers. 2013. METSUL Meteorologia. 2018-11-07. https://archive.today/20160626020311/http://www.metsul.com/blog2012/Home/home/351/Nevada_hist%25C3%25B3rica_nas_capas_dos_principais_jornais_do_Sul_do_Brasil. 2016-06-26. dead.
  28. Web site: Institute confirms snow in Curitiba. 2013-07-23.
  29. Web site: Porto Alegre registra granizo em dia mais quente de 2014, diz meteorologia. 18 January 2014. G1.globo.com. 12 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171013014451/http://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2014/01/porto-alegre-registra-granizo-em-dia-mais-quente-de-2014-diz-meteorologia.html. 13 October 2017. live.
  30. Web site: Frio se intensifica no RS e Porto Alegre pode ter neve nesta quinta. 4 June 2012. G1.globo.com. 12 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171013014248/http://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2012/06/frio-se-intensifica-no-rs-e-porto-alegre-pode-ter-neve-nesta-quinta.html. 13 October 2017. live.
  31. Web site: Normas Da Autoridade Marítima Para As Atividades De Meteorologia Marítima . Brazilian Navy . 5 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150206213534/http://www.mar.mil.br/dhn/dhn/downloads/normam/normam_19.pdf . 6 February 2015 . pt . 2011 . dead .
  32. Web site: Upper-Level Lows. Department of Meteorology, e-Education Institute. Pennsylvania State University. Meteorology 241: Fundamentals of Tropical Forecasting. 24 October 2006. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214919/https://courseware.e-education.psu.edu/public/meteo/upperlevel_lows.html. 3 March 2016.
  33. Web site: Pessa, Alexandre B. . Ian Simmonds. Catarina: The First South Atlantic Hurricane and its Association with Vertical Wind Shear and High Latitude Blocking. University of Melbourne. 8th International Conference on Southern Hemisphere Meteorology and Oceanography. April 2006. 24 December 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20070616130344/http://gemini.dpi.inpe.br/col/cptec.inpe.br/adm_conf/2005/09.29.06.38/doc/353-364.pdf . 16 June 2007. dead.
  34. Analysis of Hurricane Catarina (2004). McTaggart-Cowan, R., Bosart, L. F., Davis, C. A., Atallah, E. H., Gyakum, J. R., and Emanuel, K. A.. November 2006. Monthly Weather Review. 134. 11. 3029–53. 10.1175/MWR3330.1. 2006MWRv..134.3029M . free.
  35. Web site: Marcelino, Emerson Vieira. Isabela Pena Viana de Oliveira Marcelino. Frederico de Moraes Rudorff. Cyclone Catarina: Damage and Vulnerability Assessment. 2004. 24 December 2006. Santa Catarina Federal University. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303181933/http://www.dsr.inpe.br/geu/Rel_projetos/Relatorio_IAI_Emerson_Marcelino.pdf. 3 March 2016. dead.
  36. News: Jefferson Bernardes. USA Today. 30 March 2004. 23 February 2009. First South Atlantic hurricane hits Brazil.
  37. Web site: Cari é rebaixado ao enfraquecer e ciclone se afasta do continente. Metsul. 14 March 2015. 12 March 2015. pt. 22 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150322070735/http://www.metsul.com/blog2012/Home/home/843/Cari_%C3%A9_rebaixado_ao_enfraquecer_e_ciclone_se_afasta_do_continente. dead.
  38. News: Heavy rains cause casualties, damage in southeast Brazilian region. https://web.archive.org/web/20200125162136/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-01/25/c_138732892.htm. dead. 25 January 2020. 24 January 2020. Xinhua News. 1 February 2020.
  39. Web site: TEMPESTADE SUBTROPICAL MANI FAVORECEU A OCORRÊNCIA DE CHUVA NO ESTADO DO ESPÍRITO SANTO NESTE FIM DE SEMANA.. Portuguese. portal.inmet.gov.br. Maisa Pereira de Souza. Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia. 27 October 2020. 16 February 2021.
  40. News: Sobe para 32 número de cidades em situação de emergência por causa das fortes chuvas na Bahia. 2021-12-13 . g1. 2021-12-13 . Portuguese .
  41. News: Em 24 horas número de desabrigados pela chuva aumenta quase cinco vezes em MG. 12 December 2021 . g1. 11 December 2021. pt-br.
  42. News: CICLONE SE FORMA NA COSTA DO SUL DO BRASIL E PROVOCA CALAMIDADE NA BAHIA. 12 December 2021 . MetSul Meteorologia. 10 December 2021 . Portuguese .
  43. Web site: Governo atualiza número de mortes e de pessoas atingidas na Bahia. 2021-12-14. CNN Brasil. WarnerMedia. 2021-12-13. pt-br. 13 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213175852/https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/nacional/governo-atualiza-numero-mortes-e-pessoas-atingidas-por-chuvas-na-bahia/. live.
  44. Web site: No Uruguai, Yakecan provoca transtornos e causa pelo menos uma morte . 17 May 2022 .
  45. Web site: Corpo é encontrado no Guaíba após barco afundar durante passagem de tempestade Yakecan no RS; suspeita é que seja de pescador desaparecido .
  46. Web site: RS tem pelo menos 226 mil clientes sem energia elétrica; maioria dos casos fica na área da CEEE Equatorial. 2022-05-17. 2022-05-18. GZH. pt-BR.

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