Brazil is bracing for another storm days after a deadly cyclone that killed at least 41 people

Just days after facing a deadly cyclone that claimed the lives of at least 41 people in the southern region, Brazil is now preparing for another storm.

According to authorities, the extratropical cyclone that struck the state of Rio Grande do Sul left behind a path of destruction, and 25 people are still missing.

What is concerning is that the new storm is also expected to hit the country’s south, potentially worsening the crisis and increasing the death toll.

Late Thursday, “a cold front will advance along the border with Uruguay and will reinforce instabilities in the southern regions of the state, expanding to northern areas between Thursday night and early Friday,” according to a warning from the state government, citing a meteorologist.

What happened last week? A massive cyclone led to the unprecedented swelling of the Taquari river, which submerged entire neighborhoods in Rio Grande do Sol. Many people were forced to take refuge on rooftops while awaiting rescue.

Local media reported that more than 10,000 people were forced to leave their homes in at least 83 municipalities.

“Almost a thousand rescuers and a dozen helicopters were involved in rescue efforts that continued Thursday, complicated by the destruction of two bridges and 16 roads fully or partially blocked,” officials said.

What’s causing deadlier cyclones in Brazil? Researchers point to a deadly combination of climate change and unplanned urbanization that is making cyclones deadlier in Brazil.

Francis Lacerda, a researcher at the Pernambuco State Agronomy Institute’s Climate Change Laboratory, notes that although Brazil is not accustomed to frequent cyclones, it is becoming “more and more frequent” for them to make landfall in the country.

He adds that irregular housing on hillsides and uncontrolled urban development are exacerbating the weather crisis in Brazil.

Previous weather crises in Brazil

Earlier in June, a similar cyclone left at least 13 dead in Rio Grande do Sul and forced thousands of people from their homes.

In February, massive landslides and record flooding in the southeastern resort town of Sao Sebastiao, on the coast of Sao Paulo state, resulted in the deaths of 65 people.