GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

FEBRUARY 2025

SOUTH AMERICA

During historic floods last May that left more than 180 dead in Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, the water rose to the ceiling of the Olindo Flores school in the city of São Leopoldo, destroying furniture, books, and parts of its infrastructure.  When classes resumed more than a month later, its 500 students had to be relocated to another school for months.  On Monday, they were due to start the new school year but could not do so – this time because of an intense heatwave affecting the state. The start of the school year was pushed back after a court ruling on behalf of a teachers’ union, which had argued that classrooms lacked adequate ventilation and water supplies for students. In recent days, the highest temperatures recorded in Brazilian cities have all been in Rio Grande do Sul, a state that is normally milder than other Brazilian regions closer to the equator.  School’s back this week across most of the country, with term one kicking off under scorchingly hot conditions in some places.

While North America grappled with widespread cold and wintry conditions last week, South America – now in its final month of summer – faced the opposite extreme, with record-high temperatures recorded across the continent. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s second-largest city, temperatures at its Guaratiba weather station soared to 44C last Monday, 14C above the February norm and the highest temperature recorded in the city for more than a decade. In addition to the high temperatures, Rio has also experienced what is expected to be one of its driest Februarys on record, with little rain so far this month and minimal precipitation expected in the next week. Authorities activated a level 4 heat protocol early last week as a result of the extreme heat, prompting the setup of hydration stations at outdoor events and public spaces, as well as the designation of air-conditioned buildings as “cooling points”.

AUSTRALIA

As students in Melbourne and Adelaide enter week two, temperatures will soar into the high 30s and above, while in Perth, the return to school on Wednesday coincides with a forecast maximum temperature of 38C.  More frequent and extreme heat due to the climate crisis is a growing concern for parents given the risks to children’s health and education, according to the Parents for Climate chief executive, Nic Seton.  “A lot of kids are going back to school in states that are in the middle of a heatwave,” he said. “We saw that last year; we saw it the year before.”

TROPICAL

Properties have been damaged and large trees uprooted by an ex-tropical cyclone are still wreaking havoc in Western Australia, with record rainfall triggering significant flooding from which people are being evacuated by helicopter.  Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall in the northwest of Western Australia on Friday and was quickly weakened as it crossed the coast east of Port Hedland.  Surrounding areas suffered property damage when winds of up to 120km/h struck, but the strongest parts of the system – which was at category four when it made landfall – hit remote areas, according to Angus Hines, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology.

Tropical Cyclone Zelia has made landfall along the Pilbara coast as a strong category four system, bringing destructive wind gusts up to 290km/h amid warnings it is now too late to leave. The cyclone, downgraded from an anticipated category five, crossed 65km east of Port Hedland just after noon AWST on Friday, traveling faster (11km/h) than authorities had warned.  Port Hedland sits on the lands of the Kariyarra people and is the second-largest Pilbara town, home to more than 15,000 people. As of 5pm local time, it was tracking south over the inland's eastern Pilbara as a category three system, with wind gusts of up to 250km/h and a warning zone extending from Wallal Downs to Whim Creek.

Cyclone Zelia became the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in 2025, hitting northwest Australia on Valentine’s Day as a category 4 system. It brought damaging winds of 130mph and heavy rainfall, with 440mm of rain falling in two days. Prior to landfall, Zelia affected southern Indonesia, including Bali, with winds of more than 45mph. The storm weakened into a tropical low by Saturday but continued to cause widespread flooding, particularly near the Pilbara rivers and the Great Sandy Desert. Zelia intensified rapidly because of the record-warm Indian Ocean temperatures, which were 1-2C above the seasonal average, providing increased energy and moisture to fuel the storm. While Port Hedland in Western Australia had minimal damage, nearby areas like Pilbara and Marble Bar faced flooding and fallen trees. The Great Northern Highway remains closed, disrupting food supplies and leaving supermarket shelves empty. The tropical low is now tracking southwards, with rainfall becoming patchier and lighter.