Strong winds leave millions in Brazil's Sao Paulo without power, cutting water and flights

An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.

In São Bernardo do Campo, strong gusts brought down electricity poles and centuries-old trees, crushing cars and a lorry and cutting off access to several homes. Residents reported hearing a power transformer explode shortly before the outages began. Those affected said elderly people and patients reliant on medical equipment were facing heightened risks due to the prolonged lack of power.

The storm also damaged infrastructure, including the roof of a petrol station, which collapsed under the force of the winds.

At São Paulo’s Congonhas Airport, travellers faced long queues, delays and widespread cancellations.

Milena Porto, a passenger travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Goiânia, said her connection was cancelled after she arrived late in São Paulo, forcing her to spend the night in the city at her own expense. She said the airline had promised a refund and she was now waiting to be rebooked.

Authorities said around 1.5 million homes and businesses were without electricity on Thursday (11 December). Energy provider Enel reported wind speeds reaching 98 km/h, with about 2 million customers losing power at the storm’s peak.

The company said supply had been restored for 500,000 consumers by Thursday morning.

Brazil’s energy regulator Aneel has demanded a detailed explanation from Enel regarding the scale and duration of the outages.

Water utility Sabesp said that power cuts had knocked out pumping stations, disrupting supply across multiple districts. The company said water services were being gradually restored.

Air travel was also severely affected. Airport operator Aena said Congonhas Airport cancelled 31 arrivals and 15 departures on Thursday, after scrapping 181 flights on Wednesday.

At Guarulhos International Airport, one of Latin America’s busiest hubs, 61 arrivals and 56 departures were cancelled since Wednesday, though operations had largely normalised by Thursday morning.

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