2 Killed İn Brazil Tornado; 200,000 Homes Without Power

At least two people were killed when a tornado hit the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, local emergency services reported Tuesday.



Monday's tornado was confirmed by Brazil's National Institute of Meterology, INMET, that said it did not have definitive data on the weather event, but believed winds could have reached as much as 205 mph (330 km/h).



"Given the debris and the intensity of the winds ... It must have been between [tornado categories] F2 and F3, according to the images available to us," INMET meteorologist Mamedes Luiz Melo said, according to the G1 news portal.



Local media reported one man died after saving his wife and three-month-old daughter.



Emergency services reported that at least 120 people were injured when the tornado hit the city of Xanxere at 3 p.m. local time (1900GMT), around 310 miles (500 kilometers) inland from state capital, Florianópolis. The tornado reportedly hit at least six of the city's districts.



At least 1,000 people have been left homeless after approximately 2,600 buildings were left damaged. Reports from the scene show residential areas devastated by the tornado. Some buildings collapsed while others were lifted clear of their foundations.



Some 200,000 homes were also left without power, after five pylons, built to withstand winds of 124 mph (200 kmh), were destroyed, providing further evidence of the strength of the tornado.



Authorities in Santa Catarina have arranged shelter and food for those whose homes were left inhabitable.



Tornadoes do occur in southern Brazil, which forms part of the so-called South American Tornado Corridor along with areas of central Argentina, southern Paraguay, and Uruguay.



Santa Catarina is among the most favorable locations for tornadoes in Brazil, given its location between warmer and cooler climates, which gives rise to the cumulonimbus clouds that can precipitate tornadoes, according to INMET.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Sao Paulo