El Niño approaches 'dangerous' level and will bring storm for region; see forecast

The Paraná registered more than 153,000 people affected by storms between June and September 2026 on behalf of the El Niño. More than 450 occurrences related to weather phenomena were recorded, including windstorms, hail, heavy rains and nine tornadoes. Six people died in the period, according to Defesa Civil survey.

The scenario keeps the attention focused on October, the month that, according to the survey cited in the report, historically concentrates the greatest number of extreme events in the state. The intensification of El Niño also raises concern for the coming months. Federal agencies report a 95% probability that the phenomenon will reach a very strong intensity between October and December.

Records of occurrences have grown mainly in the transition to spring. In June, there were 48 cases; in July, 42. The number rose to 139 in August and reached 223 in September. In the Campos Gerais, the impacts remain present in the routine of residents who have lost houses, work structures and part of rural production.

Families still face losses in Piraí do Sul

Piraí do Sul was hit on August 8 by a tornado rated F3 on the Fujita Scale, with winds estimated at between 253 and 332 kilometers per hour, according to the data presented in the report. The phenomenon has destroyed residences in the rural area, uprooted trees and caused damage to barracks, farms and facilities intended for animal breeding. At least 500 people were affected and one was injured.

Among the affected residents is Leandro Ferreira Lúcio, who lost both the house where he lived with his family and another residence he was building. Donations of materials helped to start the reconstruction, but the cost of labor hinders the continuity of the work. Another storm, with winds above 100 kilometers per hour, caused damage in the region and affected 16 families.

Tornadoes were also registered in Ponta Grossa and Carambeí

In addition to the nine tornadoes recorded between June and September, the Simepar survey cited in the report points to 14 records in the Paraná from the beginning of the year until the first days of October. The list includes occurrences in Ponta Grossa and Carambeí on October 1, classified as landspout. This type of tornado is usually short-lived and is not associated with a supercellular storm.

In Piraí do Sul, students and professors of the State University of Ponta Grossa carried out orientation activities in a school of the affected rural community. The work explained the formation of tornadoes and the care for protection during these phenomena. The El Niño corresponds to the abnormal warming of the waters of the equatorial Pacific and influences the climatic conditions in different regions.

In the South of Brazil, it is associated with above-average rainfall periods, which reinforces the need to keep up with weather alerts.