Eight dead as violent storms sweep Brazil after worst-ever drought

At least eight people have died and thousands are stranded without power after violent storms swept across Brazil on Friday.

Central and south-eastern parts of the country have been hit by winds of up to 100km/h (60mph) and daily rainfall reaching up to 10cm (4in), according to the National Institute of Meteorology.

Seven people are known to have died in São Paulo, Brazil's most populated state, mainly due to falling trees and infrastructure from the strong winds and heavy rainfall.

Residents in the south-eastern state described the unexpected downpour as brief but really intense.

Blackouts have engulfed large parts of São Paulo state since Friday, with water supply problems also reported.

The energy firm Enel has said that more than 1.3 million homes and businesses are still without electricity. The company said it was aiming to reconnect power by Monday.

This came after residents of the Parque São Roberto neighbourhood, in São Paulo state, held a pot-banging protest on Saturday after going more than 24 hours without electricity.

In the capital, Brasilia, one soldier was killed and another injured at the military police headquarters.

The rain was so intense local media reported that officials inside the Chamber of Deputies - the lower house of Brazil's congress - were forced to use umbrellas inside as water leaked through the roof.

However, many people in Brasilia have welcomed the storm as long-awaited relief following a record of more than 165 days without rain.

In recent months, Brazil has experienced its worst drought since records began, which experts have largely linked to climate change and El Niño weather phenomenon.

Dry weather has fuelled wildfires across the country devastating large parts of the Amazon rainforest and Pantanal wetlands as well as choking major cities with smoke.

The number of wildfires fires in the Amazon surged to a two-decade high for the month of July, according to government data.