Rio de Janeiro logged its highest September rainfall since records began in 1997, the city government says. A Copacabana restaurant manager reported a slight drop in city activity and tourism; experts cite El Niño and cold air from Antarctica as factors.
The rain is also affecting southeastern Brazil. Last week, the National Institute of Meteorology reported lightning, strong winds, tornadoes and hail in some regions. It also recorded September rainfall records in São Paulo, worsening the city's already severe traffic jams.
Experts say several climate factors are behind the exceptional rain, including El Niño and cold air masses from Antarctica. The article says this year's El Niño could become one of the most intense on record; scientists and the UN estimate it could cause hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide by fueling disease and food insecurity.
