Massive dust storms hits five Brazilian states

The dust storms in São Paulo state countryside, which began on September 27, have already reached the states of Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and Maranhão. In São Paulo, winds of up to 100 km/h have left six dead in the Franca and Ribeirão Preto regions.

The extreme weather events are related to the record drought in the southwest of the country. The windstorm, experts say, was caused by a mass of cold weather from the south meeting a mass of warm air in the region, causing trees to fall, buildings to be blown away and power supply to be unstable.

The phenomenon, known as haboob, usually occurs in dry areas with low humidity, and may become more frequent due to climate change. Another factor is the agricultural model based on monocultures practiced in the country, responsible for accelerating the desertification process in Brazil.