The month of July 2006 registered record high temperatures and low relative humidities in many places in central and southeastern Brazil as a consequence of the stagnation of a warm and dry air mass. The last frontal system of the month, which traversed southern Brazil, was strong and caused hail in Santa Catarina and rain and snow in the mountains northeast of Rio Grande do Sul. However, the rainfall in most parts of Brazil was below normal during the month.

An increase in the area of positive SST (Sea Surface Temperature) anomalies and weakening of the trade winds in the equatorial Pacific during the month is an indication of the beginning of the warm phase of ENSO.

The runoff in the majority of Brazilian river basins, with an exception of some places in the Paraná and Southeast Atlantic basins, suffered reduction due to general dry conditions. At the hydrological stations monitored, river discharges were below MLT.

The number of vegetation fires in the Brazilian territory increased by 120% from the previous month due to dry conditions in southeastern and central-western Brazil. However, there was a reduction of 50% compared to the same month last year.

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