RIO DE JANEIRO - Heavy rains in Sao Paulo brought Brazil’s most populous city nearly to a halt on Monday with floods, mudslides and enormous traffic jams. “Since 3 a.m., in some areas it rained half of what was expected for the month of February,” Sao Paulo Mayor Bruno Covas told the online news portal G1. The Tiete and Pinheiros rivers overflowed, flooding nearby highways and trapping drivers and passengers for hours. Many had to be rescued by rafts or helicopters after waiting hours atop inundated cars, surrounded by muddy water. Covas, the city’s mayor, said 43 schools cancelled classes, buses were operating partially and some urban trains were cancelled.

Source: thestar February 10, 2020 20:15 UTC