Hailstorm Damages 3,000 Homes in Southern Brazil
Listen to the story
A severe hailstorm has damaged around 3,000 homes in the city of Santiago, in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Hail is a type of frozen rain that falls as small balls of ice, and can cause serious damage when it is heavy.
A local resident described the situation after the storm, saying, "We are without a roof." Her home, like many others in the city, lost its roof during the storm.
The Civil Defence, the government agency responsible for handling emergencies and natural disasters, has raised an alert level for the region. This means people should be prepared for further extreme weather.
According to the alert, a new storm bringing hail and strong winds is currently affecting areas near the town of Machadinho. Residents there have been warned to take precautions.
In addition, meteorologists have said that an extratropical cyclone is expected to form over southern Brazil starting tomorrow. This type of cyclone forms outside tropical areas and can bring heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous conditions.
Authorities have not yet given further details about injuries or the total cost of the damage. However, the scale of destruction, with thousands of homes affected, shows how powerful the storm was.
Local officials are continuing to monitor the situation as more severe weather is expected in the coming days across the southern region of the country.
Vocabulary8 words
- hailstorm
- a storm that drops many small balls of ice
- Civil Defence
- a government group that helps in emergencies
- alert level
- an official warning about danger
- extratropical cyclone
- a large, strong storm that forms outside warm tropical areas
- meteorologist
- a scientist who studies weather
- precaution
- an action taken to prevent harm
- destruction
- serious damage or harm
- resident
- a person who lives in a place
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. A hailstorm 2. It raised an alert level for the region 3. True
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A severe _____ has damaged around 3,000 homes in the city of Santiago, in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil.
A local resident described the situation after the storm, saying, "We are without a _____."
The _____, the government agency responsible for handling emergencies, has raised an _____ for the region.
According to the alert, a new storm bringing hail and strong winds is currently affecting areas near the town of _____.
In addition, _____ have said that an _____ is expected to form over southern Brazil starting tomorrow.
Authorities have not yet given further details about injuries or the total cost of the _____.
Discussion questions
- How might a hailstorm damaging 3,000 homes affect daily life in a city?
- Why is it important for authorities like the Civil Defence to issue weather alerts?
- What kinds of precautions do you think people should take before a cyclone arrives?
- Have you ever experienced severe weather like hail or strong storms? What happened?
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
