Bras\u00edlia
\nMassive flooding and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain in Brazil\u2019s southernmost state have killed 55 people, according to local authorities.
\nOfficials say another 74 people are missing in Rio Grande do Sul.
\nNearly 25,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes since the storms began last Saturday.
\nAt least half a million were without power and clean water, with further rainfall expected.
\nRio Grande do Sul\u2019s civil defence said 55 deaths were confirmed as linked to the floods, while another seven deaths are being investigated to ascertain if they are connected.
\nThe extreme weather has been caused by a rare combination of hotter than average temperatures, high humidity and strong winds.
\nMore than half of the 497 cities in the state have been affected by the storms, with roads and bridges destroyed in several areas.
\nThe storms also caused landslides and the collapse of a hydroelectric dam near the city of Bento Gon\u00e7alves, killing 30 people.
\nA second dam in the area was also at risk of collapsing due to rising water levels, authorities said.
\nIn Porto Alegre, the regional capital, the Gua\u00edba river broke its banks, flooding streets and submerging some neighbourhoods.
\nPorto Alegre\u2019s international airport has suspended all flights for an \u201cundetermined\u201d period.
\nOne resident said the damage was \u201cheart breaking\u201d.
\n\u201cI live in this area, so I feel sorry for everyone who lives here. It\u2019s very sad, and it\u2019s regrettable that all this is happening,\u201d Maria Luiza told the BBC.
\nBrazilian President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva has visited the region, promising help from the central government.
\nMeteorologists have predicted further rains to fall in the region as a cold front moves across it.
\nLast year, more than 30 people were killed in a cyclone in Rio Grande do Sul.
\nBrazil\u2019s National Institute of Meteorology attributed the increased intensity and frequency of rainfall to the climate phenomenon El Ni\u00f1o.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bras\u00edlia Massive flooding and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain in Brazil\u2019s southernmost state have killed 55 people, according to local authorities. Officials say another 74 people are missing in Rio Grande do Sul. Nearly 25,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes since the storms began last Saturday. At least half a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":404981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-404962","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n