On the afternoon of July 12th, a major meteorological event unfolded in the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A powerful wedge tornado, with a width greater than its height, tore through the region, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The tornado was completely enveloped in rain, making it difficult to spot and adding to its destructive power.
The tornado was surprisingly large, with a diameter of at least 1.5 kilometers at some points, and there is speculation that it could have been even wider. This makes it one of the largest tornadoes ever recorded in South America. Preliminary assessments suggest that the tornado was at the high end of the EF-2 scale, with winds nearing 217 km/h.
The city of Sede Nova was directly hit by the tornado, which also passed just over a kilometer north of the center of Campo Novo. In Sede Nova, twenty-five people were injured, a surprisingly small number considering the scale of the tornado and the fact that there were no human fatalities. However, many animals, including birds, were found among the debris, indicating a significant loss of animal life.
The tornado was part of a larger weather event that included a powerful cyclone that hit the South and Southeast regions of Rio Grande do Sul, causing an intensification of synoptic winds. Weather stations recorded gusts ranging between 50 and 110 km/h in this area. The cyclone also drove a strong continental polar air mass, resulting in a sharp decline in temperatures across Central-South Brazil.
The storm chaser Maycon Zanata was in the region at the time of the tornado but had to move away due to the dangerous conditions. Upon returning, he confirmed the presence of typical and characteristic tornado damage. With the help of the environmental satellite, meteorologists from Prevots will be able to confirm the occurrence, intensity, and path of this event.
The accurate forecast made by Prevots, Conexão Geoclima, and VaiChovê highlights the importance of detailed meteorological work, which uses both technical and popular terms, with warnings and forecasts that highlighted the moments of greatest risks.
The area most affected by the tornado was in the level 3 risk area in Prevots' morning forecast on the day of the occurrence. Despite the damage caused by the event, the low rate of fatalities is due to the joint work of the agencies and pages that carry out serious meteorology work in Brazil, warning the population about the dangers.
As normality is restored, videos of the tornado may emerge, allowing a better understanding of its magnitude. This event underscores the power of nature and the importance of meteorological science in predicting and understanding such phenomena.
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