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Extreme weather
Feb 24, 2026, 8:24 p.mFeb 24, 2026, 8:24 p.m
At least 22 people have died after heavy rainfall in southeastern Brazil. The large city of Juiz de Fora declared a disaster, suspended classes in all municipal schools and launched a search for at least 45 missing people, as the news portal “G1” reported, citing the city administration. According to preliminary information, at least 16 people died there alone.
According to the city administration, six people also died as a result of the rain in the city of Ubá, around 100 kilometers away. There a river overflowed its banks and flooded central streets. The region’s hilly topography is prone to landslides and flooding during heavy rain. Further rainfall was forecast.
City experiences rainiest February since measurements began
“It is the wettest February on record, with rainfall already more than twice as high as expected for this month,” said Juiz de Fora mayor Margarida Salomão. The city is in a “critical” situation. More than 400 people had to leave their homes because of the storms. The authorities declared three days of national mourning.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ordered the federal government to mobilize immediately. “I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families who lost their homes and, what is worse, their loved ones,” Lula said on the X platform. (sda/dpa)