Devastating floods in southern Brazil are worsening due to ongoing heavy rains, prompting authorities to issue warnings.

The situation underscores the impact of climate change and extreme weather in Latin America, which has seen record temperatures, droughts, and heatwaves.

The warming climate has contributed to a surge in diseases like dengue, with heat-related deaths rising by 140% in the last decade.

In Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state, floods have claimed 147 lives in two weeks, with over 120 people missing and around 620,000 displaced.

Significant agricultural losses and water shortages exacerbate the crisis, with water treatment plants also affected, Axios has reported.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government is planning direct payments to affected families and assessing damage for rebuilding costs.

International aid, including from the IFRC and the U.S., is being provided. Similar extreme weather events have impacted other Latin American countries this month.

Written by B.C. Begley