MG records highest temperature in the country and death during storm in the south of the state

São Romão and four other cities in Minas Gerais recorded temperatures above 41°C; in Cássia, a bricklayer died when a structure collapsed.

The city of São Romão, 499 km from Belo Horizonte, in the north of Minas Gerais, recorded the highest temperature in the country during the November 15th holiday, with thermometers reading 43.4°C. On Thursday (16), the maximum temperature recorded in the city was 41.5°C.

The state has a forecast of 41ºC for this Friday (17). According to Climatempo, the sun appears strong and there are rain showers with lightning in the afternoon and at night. Rain may be moderate to heavy in small areas and of short duration.

Five of the 10 cities with the highest maximums last Wednesday are in Minas Gerais. The state is one of the areas with red alert, of great danger, for a heat wave.

The dry air has alarming levels of humidity, between 21% and 30% in the center, north and east of Minas Gerais – which includes Vale do Rio Doce and Vale do Jequitinhonha –, south, center and north of Bahia, center- east of Piauí, interior of Ceará, Sertão do Nordeste

In Unaí, the maximum recorded was 42.6°C. Arinos, Nova Porteirinha and Araçuaí recorded maximums of 42.1°C, 41.4°C and 41.2°C, respectively.

Despite the high temperatures, the South and Southeast regions of Minas are also under yellow alert, of potential danger, for storms valid until this Friday (17).

Also late Wednesday afternoon, the first death was recorded due to rain in the state. The accident occurred on the section of the MG-44 highway that passes through Cássia, a city in the southern region of Minas Gerais, 392 km from Belo Horizonte.

Bricklayer Welerson dos Santos, aged 59, died after the structure of the shed where he worked came loose and fell.

According to the State Civil Defense Coordination (Cedec), the structure was uprooted during rain accompanied by a gale.

The cities of Guaxupé, Santa Rita das Caldas, Juiz de Fora and São João Del Rey also recorded flooding, fallen trees and other damage due to the rain.

According to the Minas Gerais Meteorology and Water Resources System (Simge), the heat wave maintains high temperatures and low levels of relative humidity, especially during the afternoons, in all regions of the state.

The sky is expected to remain partially cloudy in the eastern part of the Rio Doce, Mucuri and Jequitinhonha Valleys, with the development of clouds with a risk of severe storms, associated with strong gusts of wind in areas of the South, Triângulo, West, south of Central Mineira, center/south of Belo Horizonte Metropolitan, Campo das Vertentes and Zona da Mata.