At least seven people lost their lives after a strong and short-lived storm hit São Paulo, Brazil, leaving approximately 1.4 million homes in the country’s largest city without electricity on Saturday.
Authorities in São Paulo state reported record-breaking wind speeds on Friday night, reaching up to 108 kph (67 mph), which downed power lines and uprooted trees, causing significant damage in certain areas.
The storm also led to the closure of several airports and disrupted water supplies in various locations, according to state officials. One person was killed when a tree collapsed on an outdoor stall, while at least six other fatalities were reported across the state.
Though officials initially expected power to be restored within a few hours, many parts of the metropolitan area, home to 21 million residents, remained without electricity on Saturday. Local authorities urged people to conserve water.
São Paulo, #Brazil, last night. Powerful storm damaged buildings and left millions without power. pic.twitter.com/JYveK54g4V
— Marcelo Teixeira (@tx_marcelo) October 12, 2024
Most of the power outages occurred within the service area of Enel-São Paulo, a utility partially owned by AES Corporation. In May, the U.S.-based power company announced the sale of its 47% share in its Brazilian subsidiary for $640 million.
Regulators have ordered an inspection of the utility and warned that failure to quickly and adequately resolve the outages could result in the termination of its private concession.
Enel reported that 17 high-voltage transmission lines were impacted by the storm but did not specify when service would be fully restored.
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