Brazil battered by severe weather

Severe weather has ripped through southern Brazil.

The storm triggered widespread flooding and even generated a tornado in the town of Taquarituba.

The tornado, which struck 320km west of Sao Paulo, left two people dead and 60 injured.

Roofs were torn from homes, and trees and powerlines were brought down.

One of the people who died was a driver, who was killed when after his bus was lifted up into the air by the powerful winds and thrown more than ten metres.

The tornado is reported to have lasted only two minutes, but displaced 120 families.

The town has now been declared a state of emergency.

Rain from the same weather system has also caused major flooding in many other southern parts of the country.

The state of Santa Catarina, to the south of Sao Paulo, was the worst affected.

Homes and businesses have been inundated and the flooding was so bad that in some locations only the roofs were visible.

Thousands of people have been displaced; leaving authorities struggling to find enough water and food for those affected.

September is the wettest month of the year in southern Brazil and torrential downpours are not uncommon.

At this time of year, cold air from Antarctica pushes northwards and slams into the tropical air situated over central parts of the continent. This generates intense weather systems, which can produce tremendous amounts of rain.