Storm uproots trees and cuts power to thousands in southern Brazil

A powerful storm battered the Brazilian city of Maringa on Monday, felling trees and power poles and leaving thousands of homes and businesses in the dark, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.

Wind speeds peaked at 81 kilometers per hour (50 mph), and rainfall reached 39.8 millimeters (1.56 inches) between midnight and 6:15 a.m., the Parana Environmental Technology and Monitoring System, known as Simepar, said.

By Monday morning, more than 82,200 electricity consumers were without service, a situation affecting about 34% of the city, the state power company Copel said.

Fallen trees blocked roads, crushed parked vehicles and hit a church wall.

The winds also tore into buildings, roofs, traffic lights and a gas station, and even the fire department's headquarters was hit.

Mayor Silvio Barros declared a state of public calamity to speed up emergency work and aid for residents, local media reported.

Crews from municipal infrastructure, urban maintenance and civil defense were sent out to clear trees and roads and to assess the damage.

Authorities urged residents to keep away from fallen trees and damaged power lines, warning that they pose a risk of electric shock.

The storm also reached other municipalities in Parana state, where homes were damaged and power supplies were disrupted.

Officials are still assessing the full extent of the damage and coordinating recovery efforts.

Parana is one of Brazil's southern states, and Copel is the main electricity provider serving it, a role that makes outages of this scale a major concern for local utilities and residents alike.