This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The largest city in the Brazilian Amazon, Manaus, closed public schools on Friday as smoke from hundreds of wildfires blanketed the metropolis amid an intensifying El Niño event. Brazil is facing weather extremes from one of the strongest El Niño events in decades, which the government has warned will bring more rain and floods to the south and drought and wildfires to the north.
The state of Amazonas recorded more than 3,700 fire hotspots in September, nearly four times as many as the previous year, according to satellite data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE). On Wednesday alone, more than 749 fires were burning, leading to poor air quality in Manaus, home to 2.3 million people. "Both the smoke and the heat really contribute to breathing problems ... it is distressing," public-sector worker Erlan de Santos, 55, told in Manaus on Thursday.
The city government said in a statement that the school closures were "to protect the health, safety and well-being of students and education professionals." No date has been set for schools to reopen. Temperatures in Manaus reached 40°C (104°F) on Thursday, and authorities urged people to avoid exercising outdoors. The city already spent several days blanketed in smoke last month.
In 2024, the El Niño phenomenon brought exceptional drought, wildfires and flooding to Brazil. El Niño is a natural climate variation that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in wind and rain patterns. This year's episode is projected to be the strongest on record, with a peak in December.
The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rain forest and stores vast amounts of carbon, playing a crucial role in the fight against global warming. Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast.
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