Multiple landslides were triggered on Friday 27 May 2022 following heavy rainfall. It was reported that as of 2nd June 120 causalities have been reported while more than 7,300 people have been left homeless.

This image, acquired on 1 June 2022 by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, shows the significant river discharge caused by the heavy rains near Recife in the State of Pernambuco, one of the most severely affected areas.

Deadly flooding and mudslides have already affected Brazil over the past year: in February, more than 100 people were killed in Petropolis, in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Climate change is widely believed to contribute to more intense rainfall, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has classified Recife’s metropolitan region as one of the world’s most vulnerable urban areas.

Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery