Extreme weather and strong winds plunged Brazil's largest city, São Paulo, into darkness, causing widespread power outages and slowing trade. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
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A storm with wind speeds of almost 100 km/h toppled trees and damaged power lines. As of Thursday, about 1.3 million consumers in the São Paulo metropolitan region remained without electricity.
Italian energy company Enel SpA has faced sharp criticism for the slow restoration of power to 2.2 million consumers affected earlier this week. The São Paulo city hall gave the company 48 hours to explain why parts of the city were without power for so long. Enel promises to respond but does not specify a timeline for full restoration.
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Economic losses due to power outages for businesses and service providers in São Paulo are already estimated at least at $290 million in just two days. Losses are expected to increase.
The cyclone is forecast to move away from the region, leading to a lull in winds. However, a new cold front is expected to form over the weekend, bringing heavy rains to the south, southeast, and central-west of Brazil.