A violent spring storm swept through Greater São Paulo on the afternoon and evening of 14 October, dumping more than 40 millimetres of rain in 40 minutes over the city centre. According to the airport concessionaire Aena, the downpour led to the cancellation of 11 arrivals and 13 departures at Congonhas Airport—Brazil’s second-busiest domestic hub and a critical link for business shuttles between São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasília. Although runway operations were restored within two hours, airlines warned of residual delays throughout 15 October as aircraft and crews rotated back into position. Travellers were advised to re-confirm flight status before heading to the airport and to allow additional ground-transport time, as traffic agency CET reported more than 1,000 km of congestion during the evening rush hour. The storm also flooded the Vale do Anhangabaú road tunnel, submerged sections of Avenida 23 de Maio and forced City Hall to suspend the licence-plate driving ban (rodízio) during peak hours. Fire-fighters deployed rescue boats to evacuate four people trapped inside the tunnel, while Civil Defence teams responded to over 60 incidents of falling trees and flash floods across the metropolitan area. One fatality was confirmed in Vila Brasilândia after a landslide hit a hillside residence. For multinational companies, the disruption is a reminder of São Paulo’s exposure to extreme-weather events just as year-end travel ramps up. Congonhas handles around 600 take-offs and landings a day; even modest cancellations ripple across Brazil’s dense domestic network, delaying connections to international long-haul flights out of Guarulhos (GRU). Firms with executives transiting through São Paulo this week have activated travel-risk protocols—booking flexible fares, rerouting via GRU when possible and instructing drivers to avoid flood-prone arterial roads such as Marginal Tietê and Radial Leste. Meteorology agency Inmet maintains an orange (severe) storm alert for 15-16 October, forecasting up to 80 mm of additional rainfall. Should further cancellations occur, Brazilian consumer-protection rules (ANAC Resolution 400) oblige airlines to offer re-accommodation or refunds; however, hotel availability near Congonhas is limited. Business travellers are encouraged to opt for virtual meetings where feasible, carry power banks in case of extended airport stays and register for Civil Defence SMS alerts by texting their local postal code to 40199.
Source: CNN Brasil
