BRAZIL · WEATHER
Key Facts
- The country Brazil is Latin America’s largest economy, and São Paulo is its biggest city and business capital, a hub for US firms and travellers.
- What happened A violent storm hit São Paulo on Wednesday 14 October, flooding a downtown tunnel and killing a woman in a landslide.
- The rain About 42 millimetres fell in 40 minutes over the Anhangabaú valley downtown, roughly 11 days of normal October rain.
- Air travel Four departures and two landings were cancelled at Congonhas, the inner-city airport used mainly for domestic routes such as the Rio shuttle.
- City response The whole city was on flood watch from 15:25 to 17:00 local time, and the evening rush-hour driving ban was lifted.
- What comes next Up to 80 millimetres of rain is forecast for Greater São Paulo on Thursday 15 October, with a cold front on Friday.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
Runoff · Sunday, 25 October
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A violent São Paulo storm on Wednesday afternoon, 14 October, killed a woman in a landslide and flooded a downtown road tunnel. Firefighters used rescue boats to reach four people trapped in the tunnel, and flights were cancelled at Congonhas, the city’s inner-city airport.
The São Paulo storm matters beyond Brazil because the city is a top South American business hub, visited often by US executives and tourists. More heavy rain is forecast for Thursday and Friday, so the disruption may not be over.
Eleven Days of Rain in 40 Minutes
The city government said the São Paulo storm dropped 42 millimetres on the Anhangabaú stream area in 40 minutes, SBT News reported. That equals the rain normally expected over 11 days of October, or 37% of the month’s forecast for the whole city.
The city’s emergency weather centre, the CGE, put the whole city on flood watch at 15:25 and logged hail downtown. A gauge in Ibirapuera Park measured 67.8 millimetres, and a gust of 88.9 km/h (about 55 mph) hit Congonhas Airport.
Mayor Ricardo Nunes, who runs Brazil’s largest city, called the downpour unexpected. “Really, it was a very large, unexpected volume, in a very small space of time,” he told Metrópoles.
Rescue Boats in the Anhangabaú Tunnel
The worst scenes came from the tunnel under the Vale do Anhangabaú, a park in the old city centre. The city closed the tunnel from 15:38 local time, and firefighters pulled four trapped people out with rescue boats.
The city said the tunnel’s six drainage pumps ran without stopping but could not cope with the volume of water. The CET, São Paulo’s traffic agency, switched to its alert protocol for rainy days.
The São Paulo storm also left cars floating on Avenida 23 de Maio near Ibirapuera Park, Metrópoles reported. An entrance to the Japão-Liberdade Metro station flooded, and a tree fell on two cars in the Bela Vista district.
Landslide Death in Brasilândia
The one confirmed death came in Vila Brasilândia, in the north, where a landslide hit a house on Rua Santa Cruz do Monte Castelo. The São Paulo state government said a woman died there and that eight vehicles with Civil Defence and fire crews answered the call.
Metrópoles reported that neighbours pulled her out before rescue teams arrived and that her death was confirmed at the scene. SBT News reported that the Defesa Civil, the civil protection agency, would inspect the site and seal off the house.
Flights Cancelled at Congonhas
The São Paulo storm also hit Congonhas, the inner-city airport that handles the busy shuttle between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Aena, the Spanish airport group that runs Congonhas, said four departures and two landings were cancelled that afternoon, Jovem Pan reported.
The city suspended the rodízio, a weekday rush-hour ban on cars by licence plate, from 17:00 to 20:00. The CET counted more than 1,000 kilometres of slow traffic across the city at about 18:30, R7 reported.
What It Means for You
If you are in São Paulo or flying there this week, check your flight with the airline before setting off. Allow extra time for airport trips, because heavy rain can close tunnels and avenues within an hour.
Brazil’s weather institute, Inmet, had an orange storm alert for São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and southern Minas Gerais on Wednesday, Agência Brasil reported. The state Civil Defence expects up to 80 millimetres of rain in Greater São Paulo on Thursday 15 October, mostly in the afternoon.
Visitors should avoid flooded streets, tunnels and hillsides, and anyone can get Civil Defence text alerts by sending a local postcode to 40199. The state’s crisis cabinet is monitoring the rain, as it did during September’s severe-storm alert, and the São Paulo city guide covers getting around.
What Is Not Known
The authorities have not released the name of the woman who died in Vila Brasilândia. The city has not yet published its tally of damaged homes, fallen trees or the cost of the São Paulo storm.
It is not known how many homes lost electricity during the storm. Nor is it clear how hard Thursday’s rain and Friday’s cold front will hit, after the city warned of possible landslides in risk areas.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in São Paulo on Wednesday 14 October?
A violent storm dropped about 11 days of normal October rain in 40 minutes on the city centre, flooding a road tunnel. A woman died in a landslide in Vila Brasilândia, in the north of the city.
Were flights affected by the São Paulo storm?
Yes, four departures and two landings were cancelled at Congonhas, the inner-city airport, and many more flights were delayed. Travellers should check their flight status with the airline before leaving for the airport.
Is more rain expected in São Paulo this week?
Yes, the state Civil Defence forecasts up to 80 millimetres of rain in Greater São Paulo on Thursday 15 October. The city’s weather centre expects a cold front to bring more rain and a risk of landslides on Friday 16 October.
Is it safe to travel to São Paulo after the storm?
The city is working, but heavy storms can close roads and tunnels at short notice. Visitors should follow Defesa Civil alerts and avoid flooded streets.
What is the Defesa Civil?
The Defesa Civil is Brazil’s civil protection service, run at city, state and national level. It issues flood and landslide alerts and inspects unsafe buildings.
Sources: Agência SP (São Paulo state government), Defesa Civil de São Paulo alerta para chuva intensa nesta quinta-feira (15), 14 October 2026; CGE, Prefeitura de São Paulo, storm bulletins of 14 October, 14 October 2026; SBT News, SP: chuva no Centro acumula em 40 minutos volume de 11 dias, 14 October 2026; SBT News, Deslizamento provocado pela chuva mata uma pessoa em SP, 14 October 2026; Metrópoles, Vítima de desabamento de terra morre soterrada na zona norte de SP, 14 October 2026; Metrópoles, Ricardo Nunes diz que chuva desta quarta foi 40% do esperado para o mês, 14 October 2026; Jovem Pan, Aeroporto de Congonhas cancela voos após chuvas fortes atingirem SP, 14 October 2026; R7, Temporal em São Paulo deixa um morto na zona norte, 14 October 2026; Agência Brasil (Inmet forecast), Chuvas se intensificam no Centro-Oeste e Sudeste do país, 14 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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