La Niña conditions were observed during January. In the equatorial Pacific, the sea surface temperature was 3oC below the long term mean.
Five weak cold fronts were observed in Brazil this month. One of them led to a South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) episode over Southeastern Brazil, causing heavy rainfall in Minas Gerais, eastern São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Hot spots during January 2000 showed a pattern similar to the previous year. A significant number of hot spots were observed in Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná e Rio Grande do Sul.
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