RS Civil Protection Issues Severe Weather and Flood Alert

A fresh wave of severe weather is bearing down on Rio Grande do Sul, threatening to exacerbate flooding conditions that have already displaced hundreds of residents across more than 200 affected municipalities. The state’s monitoring bodies warn that an active low-pressure system and incoming front will drive relentless downpours through the end of July.

Escalating Warnings and Rainfall Projections Across Rio Grande do Sul

The state’s Civil Protection department issued an urgent hydro-meteorological advisory pointing to hazardous conditions developing from Sunday, July 26, through Tuesday, July 28, 2026. O Aviso Hidrometeorológico nº 11 indica condições favoráveis para tempestades com chuva intensa, rajadas de vento, queda de granizo e volumes expressivos de precipitação, além do aumento do risco hidrológico em diversas regiões gaúchas.

While Sunday’s instability starts in a relatively isolated fashion over the northwest, north, northeast, and metropolitan areas, the threat multiplies sharply heading into Monday and Tuesday. Forecasters anticipate severe storms carrying large hail, wind gusts exceeding 90 kilometers per hour, and torrential precipitation totals that may top 120 millimeters in a short window and reach up to 200 millimeters across a 48-hour span.

Cidades com maior risco de ocorrência de tempestades severas incluem Uruguaiana, São Borja, Santa Maria, São Gabriel, Santa Cruz do Sul, Camaquã, Porto Alegre, Gramado e Tramandaí. Meanwhile, surrounding districts like Santa Rosa, Passo Fundo, Erechim, Frederico Westphalen, Vacaria, São José dos Ausentes, Pelotas, Rio Grande e Chuí remain under watch for isolated strong storms.

Basin Overflow Risks and Rising Water Levels on the Jacuí and Uruguay Rivers

The impending precipitation arrives on the heels of already saturated ground and swollen waterways. A previsão indica risco de cheias em arroios e pequenos rios, alagamentos em áreas urbanas e manutenção ou agravamento dos níveis elevados dos principais cursos d’água, com os rios Jacuí, Uruguai e Ibirapuitã merecendo atenção especial devido ao risco de inundação.

Particular attention is centered on the Lower Uruguay basin situated between São Borja and Uruguaiana; no rio Jacuí, a partir de Dona Francisca até o Delta; e no rio Ibirapuitã, em Alegrete, que se encontra muito próximo da cota de inundação. To assist local response efforts, emergency management teams have distributed detailed flood-mapping models for municipalities where there is higher potential for impacts, such as São Borja, Itaqui, Uruguaiana, Rio Pardo and Alegrete.

Statewide Displacements and Port of Alegre Preparations

The human toll of the ongoing wet weather remains visible across the state. Segundo boletim divulgado pela Defesa Civil na manhã deste sábado (25), 206 municípios já reportaram ocorrências relacionadas ao mau tempo e 682 pessoas estão desalojadas. Arroio dos Ratos concentra um dos maiores impactos, com 100 desalojados, de acordo com o balanço mais recente. Utility disruptions, structural roof damage, fallen trees, and blocked roadways continue to challenge local crews, with Tramandaí and Palmares do Sul leading the ranking for highest recorded wind gusts at 46,4 km/h in a single day.

In the state capital, municipal authorities maintained emergency protocols after weathering high winds and heavy downpours earlier in the week. A Defesa Civil de Porto Alegre emitiu alerta para chuva intensa e vendaval, com vigência das 4h desta sexta-feira, 17, até as 23h59 de terça-feira, 21. Porto Alegre’s monitoring center tracked wind gusts reaching up to 80 kilometers per hour alongside multi-day rainfall accumulations that pushed local drainage systems to their limits and threatened gradual rises in Lake Guaíba.

Meteorological forecasters note that the entire final week of July will keep southern Brazil locked in a volatile weather pattern. No período entre 26 de julho e 1 de agosto de 2026, diversas áreas de instabilidade vão passar sobre o Sul do Brasil espalhando nuvens carregadas sobre os três estados, com potencial para provocar fortes pancadas de chuva. With additional storms capable of depositing upwards of 100 millimeters across multiple zones, residents in vulnerable flood zones are urged by the Defesa Civil to avoid flooded roadways, stay clear of trees, utility poles, and metal structures, and monitor official updates closely through the 199 emergency line or the 193 Fire Department number.