Cyclone Chaos: Power Outages, Flight Disruptions Rock Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo faced severe power outages and flight disruptions after an extratropical cyclone hit the area, impacting homes, businesses, and utilities. Enel, the utility firm, restored power to some but faced public scrutiny, while water utility Sabesp managed gradual resumption. Airport operations were also affected but later normalized.

About 1.5 million homes and businesses in Sao Paulo were left without power on Thursday due to an extratropical cyclone that swept through the region, toppling trees and power lines, and causing flight and water supply disruptions.

Utility firm Enel came under intense public scrutiny as gusts of up to 98 km/h battered the area over a 12-hour period. At the peak of the storm, 2 million customers were left without electricity, although service was restored to 500,000 as of Thursday morning.

Power regulator Aneel demanded detailed explanations for the disruptions from Enel. Water utility Sabesp reported that power outages had impacted its pumps, affecting various neighborhoods, while air travel was disrupted, with many flights canceled at both Congonhas and Guarulhos International Airports.

(With inputs from agencies.)