Eight dead as heavy rain thrashes Brazil after long drought

At least eight people died after heavy rains in Brazil, authorities said Saturday, as storms swept parts of the country following a severe drought that fueled a record wave of wildfires.

Central and southeastern Brazil have been pounded since Friday by winds reaching 62 miles (100 kilometers) per hour and up to four inches (10 cm) of daily rainfall, according to the National Institute of Meteorology.

Seven people died in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populated state, mainly due to falling trees and walls toppled by violent winds and rain, according to the state civil defense.

Blackouts struck large parts of Sao Paulo city, and energy firm Enel said around 1.6 million homes and businesses were still without electricity.

In the capital Brasilia, one soldier was killed and another injured after a tree fell while they were removing a flag in front of the military police headquarters, the local command said.

News media reported that officials inside the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Brazil's Congress, had to use umbrellas indoors as rainwater leaked from the roof.

Still, many welcomed the downpours as a relief in Brasilia after a record of more than 165 days without rain.

Brazil has in recent months experienced its worst drought since records began which, according to experts, is linked to climate change.

The dry weather fueled fires across the vast nation, ripping through the Amazon rainforest, leaving jaguars with burn injuries in the Pantanal wetlands, and choking major cities with smoke.

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