2025 Southern Brazil tornado outbreak

During the afternoon through evening of November 7, 2025, a rare tornado outbreak occurred in the South Region of Brazil. The outbreak produced many tornadoes off of a cold front associated with an extratropical cyclone, most notably two violent tornadoes that were spawned from the same supercell.[1] The first and more impactful of these tornadoes directly impacted the municipality of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu in Paraná, resulting in 90% of structures being damaged or destroyed, killing five, and injuring 835 people.[2] The second violent tornado killed an additional person and cause extreme vegetation damage near Candói.[3]

2025 Southern Brazil tornado outbreak
Clockwise from top: The path of the three tornadoes that hit the cities of: Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, Guarapuava and Turvo; A church destroyed by the tornado that struck Guarapuava, Houses and a vehicle damaged by The tornado that struck Rio Bonito do Iguaçu
Meteorological history
DateNovember 7, 2025
Duration~3 hours
Tornado outbreak
Tornadoes10
Max. rating
F4 tornado
Overall effects
Fatalities7 total (6 tornadic, 1 non-tornadic)
Injuries~859

Part of the Tornadoes of 2025

Meteorological synopsis

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According to Simepar and MetSul Meteorologia, the tornado in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu was caused by the interaction between a mass of warm, humid air coming from the north of the country and a strong cold front advancing through the south, driven by an extratropical cyclone. The atmospheric conditions favored the formation of a supercell.[4][5]

The warm air that was over southern Brazil, coming from the Amazon rainforest, increased thermodynamic instability, which was also intensified by the sharp drop in temperature, enabling the formation of other storms in the region, including at least three other tornadoes in the neighboring state of Santa Catarina.[4][6]

In addition to the squall line produced by the cyclone, other determining factors for the formation of the tornado were low level jets directed westward across Santa Catarina and Paraná, increasing vertical wind shear and thus favoring tornadogenesis.[4][5]

Confirmed tornadoes

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Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
1 0 6 1 0 2 0 10
List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, November 7, 2025[3][7][8]
F# Location State Start coord. Time (UTC) Path length Max. width
F1 Dionísio Cerqueria SC Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
4 injuries – This tornado caused damage to approximately 60 homes. There were reports of roofs being torn off and trees falling. Damage was reported at a school and a church.[9]
F1 Xaxim SC Unknown ~16:00 Unknown Unknown
Supercellular tornado rated by PREVOTS, but information is scarce.[citation needed]
F1 Xanxerê, Faxinal dos Guedes SC Unknown ~17:00 Unknown Unknown
Partial destruction of structures was reported, along with vehicle damage and a bus being flipped over. 164 houses had received tarpaulins.[9]
F1 Quedas do Iguaçu PR Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Another supercellular tornado rated by PREVOTS, but information is scarce.[citation needed]
F4 Quedas do Iguaçu, Espigão Alto do Iguaçu, Nova Laranjeiras, Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, Porto Barreiro, Laranjeiras do Sul, Virmond, Cantagalo PR ~25°27′09″S 52°54′26″W / 25.4525149°S 52.9071011°W / -25.4525149; -52.9071011 (Quedas do Iguaçu (Nov. 7, F4)) 17:30 75 km (47 mi) 3,250 m (3,550 yd)
5 deaths, 835 injuries – See article on this tornado
F4 Candói, Guarapuava PR ~25°33′06″S 52°01′39″W / 25.5515547°S 52.0274396°W / -25.5515547; -52.0274396 (Candói (Nov. 7, F4)) ~18:00 44 km (27 mi) 1,160 m (1,270 yd)
1 death – See section on this tornado – Extreme sweeping of dense hardwood trees were found at two points along the path of this tornado. Ground scouring was also noted at these points. A large commercial container was hurled 165 m (180 yd).[3]
F1 Campina do Simão PR Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Another supercellular tornado rated by PREVOTS, but information is scarce.[citation needed]
F2 Turvo PR ~25°03′19″S 51°44′28″W / 25.0554006°S 51.7411278°W / -25.0554006; -51.7411278 (Turvo (Nov. 7, F2)) 19:30 12 km (7.5 mi) 675 m (738 yd)
Extensive damage was reported. Two wooden houses were destroyed and a restaurant had its more fragile masonry walls collapse. PREVOTS and Simepar rated the tornado as F2.[citation needed]
FU Marilândia do Sul PR Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
More than five trees fell and several houses had their roofs blown off. In a part of the rural area, greenhouses, walls, and utility poles were knocked down or damaged, in addition to sheds and residences having their roofs torn off.[citation needed]
F1 Faxinal, Mauá da Serra PR Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Several properties had their roofs torn off, trees and poles were knocked over, and vehicles were flipped. Some of the damage, was also caused by a microburst.[10]

Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, Paraná

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Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, Paraná
A view of the tornado from a security camera near Rio Bonito do Iguaçu.
Meteorological history
DateNovember 7, 2025
F4 tornado
on the Fujita scale
Highest winds333–418 km/h (207–260 mph)
Overall effects
Fatalities5 (+1 indirect)
Injuries835
Aerial view of tornado damage in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu

This violent, enormous and destructive tornado caused widespread destruction in the urban and rural areas of the municipality. According to the governor of Paraná, Ratinho Júnior, about 90% of the homes in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu were partially or totally destroyed.[11] Of the impacted homes, it is estimated about 40% of them will need to be completely demolished and rebuilt.[12]

The tornado killed at least six people (one indirectly) and injured 835 others.[13][14] Among the victims was a 14-year-old girl who died from her injuries after the house where she was sheltering with her family collapsed.[15][16] A supermarket also collapsed, trapping multiple people under debris.[17] About 1,000 people were displaced,[18] and approximately 4,000 people were affected directly or indirectly in total.[19]

Several schools in the city suffered severe structural damage, and 22 of the 30 school buses available were also damaged by the storm, affecting more than 2,000 students. Classes were temporarily suspended for over 1,900 students in schools run by the state government.[20] The Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM), originally planned for 9 and 16 November, was cancelled in the city.[21]

The tornado had widespread national and international repercussions, being described by meteorologists as one of the most intense ever recorded in Paraná. MetSul highlighted that the occurrence of an F3 tornado in southern Brazil is a rare event, comparable only to a few documented cases in recent decades.[22]

Candói–Guarapuava, Paraná

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Candói–Guarapuava, Paraná
A church completely destroyed by the tornado.
Meteorological history
DateNovember 7, 2025
F4 tornado
on the Fujita scale
Highest winds333–418 km/h (207–260 mph)
Overall effects
Fatalities1
Injuries20[23]

This extremely destructive and large tornado, was formed from the same supercell as the other F4 tornado which had occluded before forming a new circulation, resulting on this tornado forming on Entre Rios district.[1]

This tornado swept away >80% of native vegetation, composed by hardwood trees, debarking and uprooting was also noted. Various homes including a church were obliterated, ground scouring was also found at these points, the tornado also threw a commercial container 165 m (180 yd) away and almost completely destroyed a well-built mansion, a man also died due to his house collapsing on him.[24]

All these factors leaded to upgrading the tornado rating from F3 to F4, making this the first occurrence in South America of two violent tornadoes in a single day since the 2009 Brazil and Argentina tornado outbreak.[3][7]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "Simepar confirma pelo menos três tornados durante tempestades de sexta-feira. Outros seguem em análise" [Simepar confirms at least three tornadoes during Friday storms. Others remain under analysis.]. SIMEPAR (in Brazilian Portuguese). Simepar. 10 November 2025. Archived from the original on 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  2. Sartori, Millena (11 November 2025). "Paraná confirma sétima morte após passagem de tornados; 20 feridos seguem internados" [Paraná confirms seventh death after tornadoes pass through; 20 injured remain hospitalized.]. G1. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 PREVOTS [@prevots_svr] (18 November 2025). "O tornado de Candói–Guarapuava, PR, foi elevado para F4" [The Candói–Guarapuava, PR tornado has been upgraded to F4.] (Tweet) (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 19 November 2025 via X (formerly Twitter).
  4. 1 2 3 "Entenda em mapas, imagens de satélite e gráficos o tornado no Paraná" [Understand the tornado in Paraná through maps, satellite images, and graphs.]. MetSul Meteorologia (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  5. 1 2 Brito, Pablo Olave. "O que é supercélula: a tempestade que gerou o tornado fatal no Paraná" [What is a supercell: the storm that generated the deadly tornado in Paraná.]. NSC Total (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  6. Felipe Theodorovitz (8 November 2025). "NOTA METEOROLÓGICA SDC/SC 08/11 – Tempestades severas com tornados confirmados no Oeste catarinense na tarde de sexta-feira (07)" [WEATHER NOTICE SDC/SC 08/11 – Severe storms with confirmed tornadoes on Western Santa Catarina on Friday afternoon (07)]. Secretaria de Estado da Proteção e Defesa Civil de Santa Catarina (in Brazilian Portuguese). Government of Santa Catarina. Archived from the original on 9 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  7. 1 2 PREVOTS [@prevots_svr] (12 November 2025). "A lista com as classificações preliminares é: Rio Bonito do Iguaçu-PR: F4[;] Guarapuava/Candói-PR: F3[;] Turvo-PR: F2 [...]" [The list with the preliminary classifications is: Rio Bonito do Iguaçu: F4[;] Guarapuava/Candói-PR: F3 [...]] (Tweet) (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 16 November 2025 via X (formerly Twitter).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. "Laudo técnico final do Simepar eleva classificação de tornados que atingiram 11 cidades do Paraná". Governo do Estado do Paraná (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-11-30.
  9. 1 2 "Defesa Civil confirma três tornados em Santa Catarina". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2025-11-08. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  10. TNOnline (2025-11-08). "Temporal devasta Mauá da Serra; casas ficaram destelhadas e sem luz". TNOnline (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  11. "Rio Bonito do Iguaçu chega a 90% das casas destruídas por tornado, diz governador do PR" [Rio Bonito do Iguaçu has 90% of its houses and buildings destroyed, says the governor of Paraná.]. Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  12. Agências (2025-11-11). "Cerca de 40% dos imóveis de Rio Bonito do Iguaçu precisarão ser totalmente reconstruídos". Jornal do Comércio (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  13. Sartori, Millena (11 November 2025). "Paraná confirma sétima morte após passagem de tornados; 20 feridos seguem internados" [Paraná confirms seventh death after tornadoes pass through; 20 injured remain hospitalized.]. G1. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  14. Guilherme Lara da Rosa. "Tornado no Paraná: 4 pessoas seguem na UTI, mas não há casos graves, diz secretaria" [Tornado in Paraná: 4 people remain in the ICU, but there are no serious cases, says state health department]. O Estado de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Grupo Estado. Archived from the original on 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  15. "Tornado no Paraná deixa mortos e dezenas de feridos" [Tornado causes destruction and leaves 6 dead and more than 700 injured in Paraná.]. UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  16. "Adolescente é uma das vítimas do tornado no Paraná" [A 14-year-old teenager is one of the victims of the tornado in Paraná.]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  17. Tempo, Redação Jornal Novo (7 November 2025). "Jornal Novo Tempo". Jornal Novo Tempo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  18. "Tornado in Brazil kills 6, injures hundreds". CBC News. 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  19. Fábio Donegá (9 November 2025). "Moradores de Rio Bonito do Iguaçu se unem após passagem de tornado: 'Queremos reerguer a comunidade'" [Residents of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu come together after tornado: 'We want to rebuild the community']. O Estado de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Grupo Estado. Archived from the original on 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  20. "Após escolas serem destruídas por tornado, Governo do Paraná planeja reconstrução e retomada das aulas" [After schools were destroyed by tornado, Government of Paraná plans the rebuilding and resumption of classes]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). G1 PR and RPC. 10 November 2025. Archived from the original on 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  21. Izabelly Fernandes; Eleonora Mendonça; Fabiana Genestra. "Enem é suspenso em cidade do PR destruída por passagem de tornado, diz secretaria" [Enem is suspended in Paraná city destroyed by tornado, says state department of education]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). G1 PR and RPC. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  22. "Entenda em mapas, imagens de satélite e gráficos o tornado no Paraná" [Understand the tornado in Paraná through maps, satellite images, and graphs.]. MetSul Meteorologia (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  23. "Paraná confirms seventh death caused by multiple tornadoes". Agência Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 11 November 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  24. "Simepar confirms three tornadoes with approximately 330 km/h on Friday with other suspects". Paraná Government (in Brazilian Portuguese). 9 November 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2025.