Less than two weeks after devastating floods claimed at least 143 lives, Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state is once again on high alert as heavy rainfall raises fears of surpassing record water levels.
Since Friday, intense rains have caused four rivers approximately 100 kilometers west of Porto Alegre, the state's capital, to swell, based on government data. The Guaiba Lake, situated on the city's edge, is already overflowing in several areas and continues to rise.
Fernando Fan, a researcher at the Institute of Hydrological Research at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, warned Radio Gaucha, a local station, that the Guaiba Lake, which drains the entire valley region, could exceed last week's 5.35-meter mark, potentially reaching 5.5 meters. This would set a new flood record for Porto Alegre.
Reference(s):
Fears rise of more record flooding in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul
cgtn.com
