January 2005 was marked by inundations, soil erosions and mudslides in several parts of the country. The frontal systems which remained semi-stationary over many parts of the southern and southeastern regions of Brazil were the principal meteorological systems responsible for the heavy rainfall episodes during the month. However, the Rio Grande do Sul state continued to receive lower than normal monthly rainfall. An upper level cyclonic vortex was responsible for the inhibition of rains in the eastern sector and increase of rainfall in the western sector of the northeastern region of Brazil.

The positive Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies in the equatorial East Pacific have diminished, indicating a weakening tendency of the El Ninõ phenomenon. In the North Atlantic the SST anomalies remained positive which favored a shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) to northward of its climatological position, as has been observed on several occasions in the previous month and this month.

There was an increase in the river discharge in most of the Paraná basin and in the northern parts of the Southeastern Atlantic basin, where the activity of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) was favorable for increased rainfall.

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