Topic: Tornadoes in South America

[Jimmy Deguara]

Tornadoes in South America

http://www.metsul.com/secoes/visualiza.php?cod_subsecao=28&cod_texto=221

Downright incredible damage here. Check it for yourself.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[MetSul Weather Center]

Dear Jimmy

This was, in fact, a very serious tornado. It was a miracle no one died. As you all know, the Southern Cone of South America (Southern Brazil, Uruguay, central and nortthern Argentina and Uruguay) is one of the most tornadic areas in the globe. It is interesting to note that in the Rio Grande do Sul, southernmost state of Brazil, where this event of August 2005 took place, some of the devastating tornadoes ocurred in the winter time. As we are in a zona of "climate frontier" we have spells of tropical warm moisture from Amazon carried by low level jets frequently in the winter and a powerful cold front advaning from the south can produce very severe weather when it meets this warm mass over southern Brazil and other mid latitudes areas of South America.

Alexandre 

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi Alexandre,

Yes I recall seeing this particular event but was also interested in the article here as well. Can you provide some more examples pictures and so forth of other tornado events that occurred in the region you specify. I am interested as I have little knowledge of the climate in this region.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[MetSul Weather Center]

Jimmy

The most notable event took place in 2000. It was the night of October 2000 (a La Niña year). Media reported just one tornado, but if fact there were several tornadoes tocuhing down that night. Damage affected different regions in a region 100 km wide. Seven people died. In the city of Viamao, just 30 km north of Porto Alegre, capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul with 1.5 million inhabitans, damage was widespread and catastrophic.

http://www.metsul.com/secoes/visualiza.php?cod_subsecao=28&cod_texto=309

The same event destroyed a small airport and many airplanes in the southern part of Porto Alegre. Hail was so large in the tornado affected areas that windchills of the cars were smashed and motorists were seen in dispair with their faces covered in blood in a main route that connects Porto Alegre to the beaches.

Other major tornadic event occured in 2003. It was winter and the city partly destroyed is one the the coldest in Rio Grande do Sul. Sao Francisco de Paula is at 990 meter above sea level (1.005 at downtown) and was hit hard by a tornado on July 2007 2003. See a picture below:



July 17, 2001. Another tornado in the hills of Rio Grande do Sul. Bom Jesus (1.100 meters above sea level) was caught by a violent tornado that partially destroyed the small city in the Sierra of Rio Grande do Sul.



These are the most devastating events since 2000 in Southern Brazil. In the central part of the coutry in 2005 the traffic cameras of a freeway caught a F3 tornado destroyring the outskirts of the state of Indaiatuba in the state of Sao Paulo. It was the first multivortex tornado documented in photo and video in South America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWpBFuJpHvM

See, there will be plenty of news of severe weather in South America.

Alexandre

 

[MetSul Weather Center]

A tornado leveled a small village in northern Argentina Friday night (Jauneau 26th). Local residents described an intense sound that lasted around a minute. Damage was reported in a 500 meter (180 feet aprox.) wide area that extended for 4 kilometers (2 miles aprox.) in small village of Asco in the Province of Santiago del Estero. No one died but damages mounted to properties in this very impoverished region of northern Argentina.

Some pictures available at our Tornado World blog:

http://www.metsul.com/blog/?cod_blog=3

Local news report (in Spanish):

http://www.cadena3.com.ar/noticias_ampliada.asp?mas=90242

Last December another tornado brought damage to Santiago del Estero. Pictures and video (Portuguese and Spanish) available at:

http://www.metsul.com/secoes/visualiza.php?cod_subsecao=28&cod_texto=410

Santiago del Estero is located in the South America's Tornado Alley.

Alexandre

[Jeff Brislane]

Wow! You guys in South America get more and better tornaodes than us! But that's not a huge surprise considering the ample moisture source that you would get from the Amazon/Tropics.

And it's amazing that nobody died in that 2005 tornado! I would have loved to have seen the supercell that spawned that, my guess is that it would have been a nice Classic supercell much like the one shown with tornado on you-tube.

[Jimmy Deguara]

I have seen that footage in the past but you can never get sick of seeing impressive footage like that. The damage is pretty substantial as well and not the best news as you suggested Alexandre with such a poor region.

I tend to agree with Jeff, but let me suggest it this way, we would have far less strong to violent tornadoes in this country than South America!

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[David C]

Check out the size of the hail about 1/2 way down the page here

[MetSul Weather Center]

Check out the size of the hail about 1/2 way down the page here

David

This incredible hail storm was observed in Mendoza Province in Argentina. It is quite common to hail there and they "rocket" the clouds to avoid more damages. But this event was huge and the damage to the crops was extensive.

[David C]

Thanks for the info Alexandre -- I didnt realise it was you who had posted on ST! Very large hail indeed.
We might have to start a different thread but I would be interested to learn more about the logistics of chasing in Brazil and also Argentina.

By the way, if anyone else did not see the link to this tornado in Brazil, posted above, check it out - incredible!!

[MetSul Weather Center]

Funnel cloud in Franca - Brazil last February 3rd. The photo is from Thago Brandao of Comercio de Franca newspaper:

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi,

Now that is an awesome funnel - could almost suggest tornado 2/3 way to the ground. I assume that given the title as funnel, it was confirmed as such - no damage etc.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara