Heavy hailstorm hits Rio Grande do Sul and affects more than 6 thousand people

The heavy hailstorm that hit Rio Grande do Sul on Saturday night (26) affected 6,347 people, according to a state Civil Defense report released on Sunday morning (27).

In Santiago, in the central region of the state, residents recorded the fall of large ice stones, some the size of the palm of their hand.

In Alegrete, on the western border of RS, at least 300 houses were hit by hail, 2 thousand people affected. The Instituto Federal Farroupilha, in the municipality, suspended classes indefinitely after the storm caused "significant damage to Campus facilities". There are no reports of injuries.

Videos show the intensity of precipitation in Santiago. See above.

In some parts of the city, the volume of hail was so great that the ground was practically white, as if it were covered by a layer of ice.

On the Western Frontier

Instability began to advance over the Western Border of Rio Grande do Sul on Saturday afternoon.

In Barra do Quaraí, there was a record of rain with hail. In Uruguaiana, a storm arrived in the region in the early evening.

The phenomena occur amid warnings issued by the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet), Climatempo and the State Civil Defense, which already indicated a risk of instability between this Friday (25) and next Monday (28).

According to meteorological warnings, the change in weather is associated with the action of a low pressure area located between the north of Argentina and Paraguay. This system favors the transport of hot and humid air towards Rio Grande do Sul, creating conditions for the formation of storms.

Civil Defense balance released this Sunday morning (27):

6,347 people affected (4 thousand people in Santiago; 2 thousand people in Alegrete)

No one homeless

20 people displaced

No deaths confirmed, under investigation or missing

1,314 houses damaged (1 thousand houses in Santiago; 300 houses in Alegrete)

Forecast for the next few days

On Sunday (27), instability gains scope. Civil Defense warns of winds that can exceed 90 km/h and large hail in Campanha, Oeste, Missões, Northwest, North and Center. The heat remains intense in the North and Northwest, reaching 35 degrees in Horizontina. In the extreme south, the climate is milder, with a minimum of 12 degrees in Chuí.

Monday (28) maintains unstable weather due to the organization of a new frontal system. Civil Defense warns that the total rainfall between Saturday and Monday could exceed 200 millimeters in Campanha and the west of the state. In just 24 hours, volumes can exceed 170 millimeters in these regions.