Storm Surge Could Cause Up to 3-Meter Waves on Rio’s Beaches This Week

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Despite no rain forecast for Rio, since the beginning of the week the Brazilian Navy has been issuing several warnings to a storm surge that may hit the city’s coastline in the coming hours.

According to the Navy, the rough sea may cause waves of up to 3 meters. Water level is expected to remain unchanged until Thursday, May 28th. The reason for this storm surge of great proportions is the presence of a cyclone along Brazil’s southeast coast.

Rio Rico Surf, a website specialized in assessing weather conditions for surfing in various parts of Rio, shows a “maximum alert” for surfers and swimmers, particularly for Wednesday, May 27th and Thursday, May 28th.

According to the website, Wednesday would see high waves in the morning, and south-southwest swell, and moderate to strong southwest wind, with gusts. The sea level would rises even higher in the afternoon and the waves reach three meters. The swell is expected to peak on Thursday. This is where the “maximum alert to bathers and surfers” comes in, particularly for “big riders”, (big wave surfers) who risk violating the isolation decree to surf at the Grumari Right Corner, a location pointed out by the website as one of the few surfable during this storme surge.