Tornadoes and severe storms have killed at least four people across southern Brazil this week, damaged thousands of homes and forced the closure of Chapecó Airport in Santa Catarina state.

Two tornadoes struck within 18 minutes of each other on Wednesday morning, hitting Chapecó at about 10.30am and Xanxerê at about 10.48am, according to state civil defence officials. Brazil's National Meteorology Institute recorded wind gusts of 126 kilometres per hour in Chapecó, while radar analysis detected the rotation linked to the Xanxerê tornado.

Airport shut and homes damaged

The storm tore into Chapecó Airport, damaging its terminal and hangars, and the operator suspended all flights while emergency teams assessed the damage. No reopening date had been announced by Friday.

In Santa Catarina, civil defence said two people had died: a 20-year-old man killed when a fuel station canopy collapsed in Rio Negrinho, and a 46-year-old woman electrocuted after a power line fell in Xanxerê. The storms, which began on Sunday 1 November, damaged property in 109 municipalities, 32 of which declared a state of emergency. Officials said 5,531 homes had been affected, leaving 56 people homeless and 252 displaced.

Neighbouring state also hit

In neighbouring Rio Grande do Sul, a tornado touched down in three rural municipalities, Erval Grande, Itatiba do Sul and Barra do Rio Azul. Two more people died there: a 44-year-old motorcyclist swept away by floodwater in Sagrada Família, and a 71-year-old woman found near a river in Cacique Doble. State civil defence reported 25 people injured, one missing and almost 50,000 affected.

The United Nations humanitarian office said the Itajaí-Açu River rose above flood level in Rio do Sul on 4 November, and warned that above-average rainfall was forecast across southern Brazil through the rest of the month, keeping the risk of further flooding high.