Windstorm in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro Leaves Five Dead, Causes Blackouts and Widespread Damage - Folha de S.Paulo

A powerful windstorm with gusts of up to 125 km/h (78 mph) caused widespread damage and power outages, disrupted transportation and left at least five people dead in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

São Paulo recorded three fatalities: a homeless man in Santos and a driver in Cesário Lange, both struck by falling trees, and a fisherman whose boat capsized off São Sebastião.

In the city of São Paulo and the greater metropolitan area, 106,000 customers lost power, and flights were disrupted.

In Rio de Janeiro, two people were killed when a wall collapsed on them. The windstorm halted train and metro services in the state capital, while a blackout affected 500,000 properties across the city and its metropolitan area.

The windstorm, which had prompted severe weather alerts from the Civil Defense, was caused by the arrival of a cold front.