A British Airways Airbus A350 aircraft, parked at São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport, became a dramatic spectacle when it was struck by lightning during a severe thunderstorm. Dramatic footage captured the moment the lightning bolt connected with the plane’s vertical stabilizer, illuminating the sky for several seconds. While the incident delayed the flight to London Heathrow for necessary inspections and caused the redirection of 21 other flights, aviation experts reassured the public that such occurrences are relatively common and generally pose no threat to passenger safety due to the aircraft’s advanced lightning protection systems. This dramatic event unfolded against the backdrop of a city grappling with unprecedented flooding.
São Paulo, a metropolis of over 11 million residents, was inundated by a deluge of rainfall equivalent to a month’s worth in mere hours. The city’s infrastructure struggled to cope with the sudden downpour, as streets transformed into rushing rivers, sweeping away vehicles and leaving residents stranded. The extraordinary scenes included a resident navigating the floodwaters on a jet ski, highlighting the extent of the inundation. Public transportation systems ground to a halt, forcing commuters to seek refuge in crowded subway stations as the torrential rains continued to batter the city. The widespread impact of the storm also extended to the city’s power grid, leaving over 120,000 Enel customers without electricity, with the number of affected homes peaking at nearly 180,000 during the height of the storm.
The combined forces of torrential rain, gusting winds, and lightning strikes wreaked havoc across São Paulo, submerging neighborhoods and prompting urgent alerts from Civil Defence authorities. The severity of the situation led local authorities to issue an unprecedented emergency alert directly to residents’ mobile phones, warning them of the imminent danger and urging them to seek higher ground. The storm’s destructive power was further demonstrated by the partial collapse of the roof at the Center Norte shopping mall in the northern district of Vila Guilherme. Videos circulating online showcased water cascading into the mall, forcing officials to cordon off affected sections for repairs. Despite the widespread disruption and structural damage, there were, thankfully, no reported injuries.
Following the devastating storm, São Paulo entered a state of alert, with the city’s two major riverbanks threatened by rising water levels. Authorities remained vigilant, bracing for further impacts as the region entered its thunderstorm season. This period of heightened meteorological activity in Brazil, often referred to as the “lightning strike capital of the world,” typically experiences frequent and intense storms during January, compounding the challenges faced by residents during the already precarious rainy season. The city remains on high alert as it anticipates further potential disruptions and damage from future storms.
The recent events in São Paulo serve as a stark reminder of the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events globally. The city’s experience echoes similar devastating floods that ravaged southern Brazil in the previous year, particularly in Rio Grande do Sul state. These “apocalyptic” floods, as they were described, resulted in widespread destruction, tragically claiming the lives of at least 100 people, with another 130 reported missing. The floods impacted approximately 400 municipalities, displacing 230,000 residents and causing extensive damage to infrastructure, including homes, highways, bridges, airports, and even football stadiums. Rescue efforts were hampered by persistent rain and strong winds, exacerbating the already dire situation.
The images of submerged houses, with only roofs visible, and residents resorting to using small boards and surfboards for transportation, paint a grim picture of the devastation wrought by the floods in Rio Grande do Sul. The estimated cost of clean-up and repairs in Porto Alegre, the state capital with a population of 1.4 million, reached a staggering £745 million. These recurring extreme weather events underscore the urgent need for enhanced disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience in vulnerable regions. The experience in São Paulo and other parts of Brazil serves as a cautionary tale and a call to action for governments and communities worldwide to address the growing threat of climate change and its associated risks.
