Besides Covid-19, Brazil catches a cold

Beyond face masks, 2020 has seen Brazilians put on plenty of extra layers thanks to a sweeping cold snap. Despite its usually tropical climate, areas in the South of Brazil had snow days this month, with some cities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul seeing temperatures fall to -8 degrees Celsius. 

Parts of São Paulo and Minas Gerais experienced freezing temperatures, while the beaches of Rio de Janeiro looked more like the United Kingdom, with cloudy, cold days and constant drizzle. 

Among videos of frozen backyards, questionable snowmen, and Brazilians donning gloves and scarves for beat the chills, one post went viral: inside a subway station in São Paulo, one man took off his own shirt to provide heat to a shivering dog, who appeared delighted with its gift. 

Cold weather comes with renewed concern about the country’s homeless population, with several cities holding donation campaigns for warm clothing and blankets for those sleeping rough.

Brazil’s image as a tropical paradise seems lightyears away in the cold of August. But this year, at least there won’t be any disappointed tourists: they’ve all been kept away due to the coronavirus epidemic. 

Go deeper:

• Read more: Winter tourism destinations for when Brazil gets chilly

• And: Precarious housing a key factor in Covid-19 spread in Latin America

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• #weather