Brazil Storms, São Paulo Travel At Risk From Floods

Published on Dec 8, 2025, 3:45 pm CST

9 min read

Key points

INMET orange storm alerts from November 30 to December 2 covered 10 to 20 Brazilian states with 50 to 100 millimetres of rain and 60 to 100 kilometre per hour winds
Infraero logged more than 60 cancellations and about 90 delays as storms shut runways at Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport and Porto Alegre-Salgado Filho International Airport and triggered limited waivers at LATAM and Azul
On December 8 São Paulo entered a citywide state of attention for flooding after heavy midday rain hail and gusts above 60 kilometres per hour caused dozens of flood points tree falls and at least one landslide
Municipal and state agencies warn that an extratropical cyclone and cold front between December 9 and 11 could bring stronger storms and further flooding across São Paulo the South and parts of the Centre West
Travelers using São Paulo Guarulhos Congonhas and southern Brazil hubs should allow long buffers avoid separate tickets and steer clear of low lying flood prone hotel and neighbourhood districts

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: Expect repeated disruption at São Paulo Guarulhos and Congonhas plus Florianópolis and Porto Alegre as storms line up with peak afternoon and evening travel and flood prone low lying districts in eastern and southern São Paulo see the highest road risk
Best Times To Fly: Early morning and late evening departures that dodge the main afternoon thunderstorm window and the December 9 to 11 cyclone peak are most likely to move on time
Onward Travel And Changes: Plan for slowed buses and taxis out of São Paulo terminals and coastal cities, build at least three hours for domestic connections and four to five for international links and use airline apps to move onto earlier flights when storms threaten
What Travelers Should Do Now: Check INMET CGE and airline alerts daily, move nonessential trips away from the December 8 to 11 peak, choose hotels on higher ground and pre map alternative airports and intercity bus routes
Health And Safety Factors: Avoid driving or walking through flooded streets, stay clear of trees and loose power lines in high wind corridors and factor in heat, humidity and air quality swings when waiting in long queues

Brazil storms São Paulo travel plans are entering a rough patch as orange level thunderstorm alerts from November 30 to December 2 and a fresh flooding state of attention in the capital on December 8 tighten capacity just as summer holiday traffic ramps up. The same pattern that drenched ten or more states has already shut runways, scattered flight waivers, and pushed buses and cars into congested detours. For travelers, the next several days are about longer buffers, flexible tickets, and avoiding the low lying parts of São Paulo and southern Brazil that flood first.

The Brazil storms São Paulo travel wave is the result of a persistent summer storm pattern that has already triggered severe INMET alerts, disrupted flights across the country, and now combines with a developing extratropical cyclone aimed at the South and Southeast.

Orange Alerts And Early December Storms

Between 1000 a.m. on November 30 and 1000 a.m. on December 2, the National Institute of Meteorology, INMET, issued an orange, severe, warning for heavy rain, hail, and thunderstorms covering roughly 20 states and the Federal District. The bulletin called for 30 to 60 millimetres of rain per hour, or 50 to 100 millimetres per day, and gusts between 60 and 100 kilometres per hour, with clear risk of power cuts, falling trees, flooding, and lightning.

Travel focused summaries highlighted that at least ten states, including Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Tocantins, were inside the orange zone. Meteorologists tied the severity to a strong South Atlantic Convergence Zone interacting with warmer than normal sea surface temperatures, a combination expected to hold through mid December rather than a one day outlier.

Airport operator Infraero's dashboard shows how quickly those forecasts translated into operational pain. By the morning of December 2, more than 60 flights had been cancelled and around 90 delayed nationwide, with runway closures at Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport (FLN) to clear standing water and a roughly forty minute suspension of departures at Porto Alegre-Salgado Filho International Airport (POA) when wind shear spiked. LATAM and Azul responded with limited weather waivers that allowed one date change through December 4 without a fee, although space on the São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília trunk network was already tight.

Separate trade reports across December 4 to 7 point to a continuing pattern of cancellations and hundreds of delays at the main hubs, including Guarulhos, Congonhas, Campinas, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte, as both storms and airline specific operational issues hit already busy banks.

São Paulo Flood Alerts As Storms Hit The Capital

On December 8, São Paulo's weather moved from background risk to immediate travel problem. The city's Centre for Climate Emergency Management, CGE, placed all regions of the capital in a state of attention for flooding around early afternoon after strong, heat driven thunderstorms rolled across the metro area.

Local outlets and municipal bulletins describe heavy rain, hail in multiple neighbourhoods, and gusts above 60 kilometres per hour that led to at least 21 reported tree falls, 15 flood or inundation points, and one landslide in the early hours of the episode, with the eastern and southern zones hardest hit. São Paulo's state Civil Defense also pushed a severe alert for rain, lightning, wind, and hail that covered both the city and the surrounding metropolitan region.

From a traveler perspective, that kind of fast moving storm can simultaneously slow access to São Paulo/Guarulhos-Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU), snarl short hop flights out of São Paulo/Congonhas-Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport (CGH), and close underpasses or marginal roads that feed hotel districts along rivers and low lying avenues. Even if GRU and Congonhas keep operating, taxis, ride shares, and airport buses may be forced onto slower detours or held back entirely while water drains.

New Cyclone Threat For December 9 To 11

Looking beyond the first burst of storms, Brazilian meteorological coverage and state Civil Defense advisories now flag a new extratropical cyclone forming off the southern coast and interacting with a cold front in the first half of the week. Forecasts indicate that between December 8 and 11 the system could drive strong thunderstorms, intense rain, and high winds across portions of the South, Southeast, and Centre West, with Santa Catarina already under maximum alert for severe storms and flood and wind damage.

São Paulo city hall's forecast for December 9 calls for a rainy day from the pre dawn hours, with temperatures around 20 to 23 degrees Celsius, sustained humidity over 75 percent, and repeated showers of moderate to strong intensity that can bring gusts above 60 kilometres per hour and fresh rounds of flooding and tree falls across Greater São Paulo. On December 10, showers should weaken but not vanish, and any additional wind can still topple trees in already soaked soil.

The U.S. Mission to Brazil had already warned in a November 7 weather alert that INMET was watching strong winds, dangerous storm surges, and heavy rain in multiple regions with potential flooding and high waves, urging travelers to monitor local media and follow Civil Defense instructions. The current cyclone threat essentially extends that message into the heart of the December travel window.

How This Hits Flights, Buses, And Road Trips

For air travelers, the main risk is not a total shutdown of Brazil's aviation system but rolling slowdowns and pockets of cancellations when storms line up with the busiest departure banks. Afternoon and early evening banks at GRU and Congonhas are particularly vulnerable, because they sit in the same window when inland heat and moist air make severe thunderstorms most likely. Southern hubs like Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport and Porto Alegre-Salgado Filho International Airport have already shown how quickly a downpour or wind shear spike can close a runway.

National carriers like LATAM, Azul, and GOL usually start with limited weather waivers, often allowing one date change within a short window on the same route and in the same fare class. Those waivers are useful, but they do not guarantee seats, and the early December experience shows that spare capacity on trunk routes is thin once summer demand ramps up. Travelers who wait until they are already at the airport to rebook risk getting stuck overnight.

On the ground, the combination of flash flooding, fallen trees, and poor visibility can temporarily cut off key corridors into and across São Paulo, as seen in the number of flooding points and tree incidents reported on December 8. That matters not just for arrivals and departures at GRU and Congonhas but also for road trips between São Paulo, the coast, and interior cities, and for intercity bus runs that use low lying terminals and bridges.

Practical Planning For Brazil's Early Summer Storm Pattern

Travelers holding December and early January itineraries through Brazil should now assume that Brazil storms São Paulo travel disruption is a background condition rather than a surprise event. The safe move is to treat every key leg through GRU, Congonhas, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, and Florianópolis as potentially slow and to build plans around that.

On flights, that means booking longer connection windows, especially where a domestic flight feeds an overnight or long haul international segment. Two hours is a bare minimum for same ticket domestic connections in this pattern, and three or more hours is safer, particularly in the late afternoon and early evening. Separate tickets that rely on tight self connections through GRU or Congonhas are a bad idea until the cyclone window closes and INMET scales back alerts.

For hotels and neighbourhood choice in São Paulo and other big cities, it makes sense to favour higher ground and well drained districts rather than river banks or known flood hotspots. Visitors who can afford it should avoid basement rooms, underground garages, and laneways that become channels for runoff during short, violent downpours. Those staying in rental apartments should verify that building management has clear guidance on flood gates, sump pumps, and backup power.

On road and bus trips, plan conservative driving days with slack for detours and temporary closures, and avoid entering obviously flooded streets even if locals appear to inch through. Keeping water, snacks, and a basic battery pack in the car or day bag is sensible when thunderstorms can freeze traffic for an hour at a time. For bus travel, aim for daytime departures where possible, so that any reroute or unscheduled stop happens in daylight.

Finally, everyone moving through Brazil during this pattern should put a trio of checks on their daily routine, ideally starting 24 to 48 hours before each major leg. First, check INMET's warning map and local Civil Defense or CGE bulletins for updated storm and flood alerts along the route. Second, confirm flight status and any new waivers in airline apps or with travel agents, and move off risky connection times when space exists. Third, adjust local transfers and activities, shifting riverfront dinners, beach days, and long drives to calmer periods and keeping a short list of indoor backups handy if storms flare.