Unusual snowfall in Brazil after more than half a century

After 64 years since 1957, people in Brazil have witnessed an unusual weather phenomenon, when the temperature dropped, causing snow to fall and cover the streets.

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Snow and ice cover tree branches at dawn in Sao Joaquim, Brazil on July 28. An unusually intense cold at night caused heavy snowfall in southern Brazil. The last time Brazil saw a blizzard was in 1957, when up to 1.3 m of snow was recorded in the state of Santa Catarina.

Snow covers the road in Sao Joaquim on July 29. According to information from the weather service Climatempo, at least 43 cities in Brazil reported recordings of snow or ice by the end of July 28.

A man plays in the snow at a farm in the countryside of Sao Joaquim on July 29. In a video broadcast on local television, people in the city of Bom Jesus in the state of Rio Grande do Sul also set up snowmen on the square and played snowball games.

Temperatures are expected to continue to drop and more snow is possible. The Brazilian Meteorological Institute said the low temperatures will last until early August. Frost could appear in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Goias on July 30 (local time).

Rodrigo, a 14-year homeless, adds hot chili sauce to a bowl of soup on a cold night in Sao Paulo on July 29. Falling temperatures and cold weather have forced many homeless people in Brazil to seek shelter and warm food to stay safe.

Homeless people lie on mattresses placed by the government inside a metro station in the most populous state, Sao Paulo, in the early morning hours of July 30. The state government on July 29 donated 7,500 blankets and 1,000 sleeping bags to organizations helping the homeless, turning a subway station into a shelter that can accommodate 400 people.

Homeless people in Sao Paulo light fires to keep warm. Maria Madalena Dutra was among those shivering through the night on the streets of Sao Paulo as she slept on a blanket and a tarp. "Last night, it was so cold that we lit lighters in our hands to keep warm, but it didn't help," Dutra said. "Temperature isn't the only problem. It's horrible when it's cold and windy and rainy at the same time."

Homeless people huddled in the cold, eating a hot meal donated by a church in Sao Paulo early on July 30.

A man warms himself by a fire in the streets of Sao Paulo.