Torrential rain and overflowing rivers have forced thousands of residents from their homes in the northeastern Brazilian states of Alagoas, Pernambuco, and Rio Grande do Norte. On July 2, 2022, heavy rain triggered flooding that ruined roads and damaged homes in areas of the Metropolitan Region of Natal in Rio Grande do Norte.

The local administration has opened schools to shelter evacuees and has supplied beds and other humanitarian items. On July 3, 2022, Ponta Negra in Natal received 160 mm of rain in 24 hours. On Friday, May 27, landslides in Pernambuco damaged favelas on hillsides, particularly in the Recife metropolitan region, a city constructed on a slope like many low-income areas in Brazil.

This incident was similar to the mudslides that ravaged Petrópolis near Rio de Janeiro in mid-February 2022. Pernambuco was the hardest-hit state. The National Institute of Meteorology issued a red signal for Recife, indicating a large amount of precipitation (more than 60 mm per hour or 100 mm per day) and a significant risk of accidents.

According to the report, "Globally, the most significant growth in urban vulnerability and exposure has occurred in cities and settlements with limited adaptation capacity, particularly in unplanned and informal settlements in low- and middle-income countries and smaller and medium-sized urban centers." Weather-related catastrophes are becoming more common in Brazil. They are most common in disadvantaged districts, particularly in the hills and slums.

The global climate issue is increasing the frequency of destructive extreme weather. The typical amount of rain in this region of Brazil is likely to decrease as temperatures rise, but rain events will become more frequent and powerful. Some sections of Brazil will face more droughts and more frequent and heavy rainfall events, making them more prone to flooding. Landslides have more complicated causes, but they usually occur with heavy rains in areas that have been overly deforested.

The often-fatal floods that followed have sparked debate about the potential influence of climate change on Brazil's turbulent weather patterns and the country's often haphazard urban development.