Extratropical Cyclone Arani in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Storm surge in Icaraí, Niterói

A rare extratropical cyclone swept into Rio de Janeiro, creating some monster waves and flooding the streets - including the street where I lived in Icaraí last summer (summer in Rio, winter in California).

According to NASA:

Arani has the appearance of a tropical cyclone but has been classified as a subtropical cyclone. Subtropical cyclones are low pressure areas that develop with a cold core and transition to a warm core in the mid-levels of the troposphere, resembling a tropical cyclone. They more typically form outside of hurricane season (which is June 1 to Nov. 30 in the Northern Atlantic, for example). They also have broad wind patterns and that means that their maximum sustained winds are usually located farther from the center than a tropical cyclone. They also have no weather fronts linked to them, such as a typical low pressure area that brings summertime storms with an associated cold front. Subtropical cyclones can sometimes become tropical cyclones, and occasionally, tropical cyclones can become subtropical.

Tropical cyclones are very rare in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. In 2004 a cyclone called Catarina formed in the South Atlantic and caused some controversy when it was classified as a hurricane by the United States' National Hurricane Center.

Note that Cyclone Catrina was the first ever hurricane to hit Brazil in recorded history. Arani is only the third (second official) named tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

Things are changing - its about time we take notice so we can start taking proactive, preventative steps to mitigate against the already evident threat of climate change.


---

Here is a great video of the waves crashing onto the streets throughout Rio.

Another video - you might recognize the MAC (Museum of Contemporary Art) in the background:

Heavy Rain in Rio de Janeiro Floods Streets

Flooded street in Icaraí

Last night, after Fluminense (a Rio soccer team) won the Brazilian Soccer Championship, the festivities were cut short due to an incredible storm that came through Rio de Janeiro. Within an hour streets around Rio and Niterói were flooded with up to three feet of water (between 7pm and midnight over six inches of rain fell in some areas).

Russell and I were walking down the beach from his dad's house to his mom's house when the rain started. We ended up stranded at his mom's house for the night because the entire road in front of of the complex was flooded - not even buses were passing, and that is saying a lot because buses will generally go anywhere regardless of weather. A few drivers tried to go through the rising water - all except for a large truck were stopped in their tracks and the drivers had to get help from passer-bys (sometimes offering money) to push their cars out of the water. Some of the cars that were parked on the street are surely destroyed. One brand new Honda was covered over its tires with water and when that large truck passed by it began floating on top of the massive wave that was created.

Many people waded through the flooded street to get to wherever they needed to be. Some women were up to their waists in water. The most heart-breaking thing came when a family of homeless people begged and pleaded for shelter under the building, but they were turned away by the doorman. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like being homeless, in a downpour, wet from head to toe, and no place dry to lay your head down. I also wonder if any favelas fell.

December is the month of pulverization for favelas. This time last year is when the state of Rio was in a state of emergency due to all of the landslides that killed hundreds and blocked roads for weeks - they are still dealing with these landslides today, we saw many of them on our way to Paraty. Everybody is saying that yesterday's storm was just an introduction for what is to come.

Lightning in Icaraí

On the bright side, all of the lightning was very beautiful. There were strikes at least every 20 seconds. There was a huge amount of lightning all night long. I have never seen a lightning storm last for so long. It was incredibly beautiful and only added to the power of the storm.

There is supposed to be another one coming tonight... I don't know if it will be as strong. Rather than the normally hot days and rainy nights, yesterday's storm came after 3-4 dry days and nights, so I think all the rain from the previous days were just packed into one punch. I guess I'll find out tonight! Pray for all the people on the hills and on the street.

Amazonas Suffer Record Drought

Boats stranded on the Rio Negro river bed, photo by Rodrigo Baleia.

According to local authorities, 27 of the 62 municipalities of the Amazonas state have declared a state of emergency. The local population that mainly relies on fluvial transportation is currently suffering a shortage in food, medicines, fuel and drinkable water.

According to Daniel Oliveira, a hydrology expert with the CPRM, Brazil’s hydrological service, the central part of the river is still navigable, but some of the branches and effluents have dried out, revealing sandbanks and leaving villagers whose houses used to be on the riverfront, stranded and isolated. The risk of dislocation for fishermen who used to fish in front of their houses is also great.

“Even in the navigable parts, the consequences on the population are important. A five day trip now takes seven days, and has to be done with more detours. As a consequence, more fuel is used, the price increases, and so does the price of other commodities”, says Oliveira.

The drought also has other environmental consequences, with landslides near the riverbanks in São Paulo de Olivença, where according to the local authorities, the front of the city collapsed, affecting more than 200 houses and the Amazon forest left more susceptible to the increasing risk of fire.

Rio Negro's banks are drying up, photo by Rodrigo Baleia.

The record drought is not an isolated incident, though. With major drought in 2005 and a historic flood in 2009, the Amazon River has been experiencing rapid and extreme variations over the past few years. “The Amazonas state is going through a permanent emergency situation and this is very serious”, says Rafael Cruz from Greenpeace Brazil.

Cruz continued; “It’s too early to say that all this is provoked by global warming but one cannot ignore the possibility. If this is not climate change right now, it at least gives us the sensation of what it will be if we don’t limit carbon emissions.”

The drought comes at a time when climate change has gained renewed political attention with the unexpectedly strong results of the Green Party candidate Marina Silva at the first round of the Presidential elections and the attempt of the two other candidates, Dilma Rousseff and José Serra to appeal to her electorate even if some issues, like the Belmonte dam remain controversial.

For now, President Lula has reaffirmed a commitment to climate change in view of the next U.N. climate summit in Cancun in late November, with Brazil already agreeing to a fifty percent emission reduction in 2050. Yet after the failure of the Copenhagen summit to deliver a binding international agreement to cut greenhouse emissions, expectations for Cancun are low.

[Full Article via The Rio Times]

Can you believe that 50% of Congress, since the elections, will be made up of climate skeptics.... I need to go see the Amazon before it is gone.

Rain in Rio

Last night was heavy rain. It has actually rained more in the last 24 hours than it has for all of October. It does not rain all day, but rather the dark clouds move in a night and the downpour commences. Last night there were two landslides - both in favelas - one person died.

I love the rain. It smells so good and I love the sound it makes hitting the trees and rooftops. Last night, though, I couldn't help but think about this boy, Mattheus, who Russell and I met slacklining. He, along with his parents, I'm pretty sure are homeless. I wondered where they went to hide from the rain all night.

What a difference, huh? I enjoy the rain from a 9th story beachfront window. Others probably dread it, fearing that their houses will fall down mountains, and some not even having a home to retreat to.

But still, I look at the sky and am thankful that my life is so beautiful.

New York City Tornado - HUGE Storm!

UPDATE (Sat. 09/18/10): It has now been confirmed. Two tornadoes hit NYC during the storm - one in Brooklyn near the Brooklyn Bowl were we were preparing for the Millennium Network Event, the other in Queens.

---------------

Yesterday I was in Brooklyn when this HUGE storm passed through. It started with lightning every 10 seconds, then suddenly a downpour - seriously heaviest rain I have ever been in (well luckily I was inside preparing for the Millennium Event, but everybody went to the door to look at the crazy weather!). Then the wind picked up, hail the size of ping-pong balls started crashing down, and the rain became so intense that you could hardly see out the door! The street turned into a raging river (I read that there was 2 inches - more in some areas - of rain in the short 10-20 minute period). The wind roared up to 110 mph and apparently a tornado touched down nearby. I captured some video, but it is not nearly as hilarious as this video of two guys freaking out in Brooklyn!