At least eight people have died after heavy rains hit Brazil, authorities said. Storms swept across the country months after a severe drought sparked a record wave of wildfires.
Central and southeastern Brazil were hit by winds of up to 100 km/h and up to 10 cm of daily rainfall, according to the National Institute of Meteorology.
Seven people died in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, mainly from falling trees and walls brought down by strong winds and rain.
Blackouts affected large parts of the city of Sao Paulo, and energy firm Enel said about 1.6 million homes and businesses were still without power.
In the capital, Brasilia, one soldier was killed and another injured when a tree fell.
Employees at the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Brazil's Congress, had to use umbrellas indoors as rainwater poured from the building's roof.
Still, many welcomed the heavy rains as a relief in Brazil after a record 165-plus days without rain.
In recent months, the country has experienced the worst drought since records were kept. This fueled massive rainforest fires. | BGNES, AFP
