Posts tagged with "weather"

Brrr, It’s Cold!

Posted by Rachel 3 Comments
Jul 6 2011

While in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re enjoying summer, in the south of Brazil, it’s getting cold! Let’s take a look at some weather news and vocabulary.

In Santa Catarina, it is getting very chilly. According to this article, they’re experiencing subzero temperatures (Celsius, that is):

Ao menos 30 cidades da região Sul registraram temperaturas negativas na madrugada de ontem. Urubici, na serra catarinense, amanheceu com 6,2C negativos e a sensação térmica na cidade chegou a 27C negativos. É um frio equivalente ao sentido por habitantes de países como a Noruega e regiões próximas aos polos Sul e Norte.

Based on the text, what do you think “sensação térmica”means?

In São Paulo, the temperatures had the city on alert:

A tarde de hoje registrou nebulosidade intensa e temperaturas baixas na capital. Segundo o Centro de Gerenciamento de Emergências (CGE), as temperaturas máximas encontravam-se próximas de 15ºC às 16h, de acordo com as estações meteorológicas automáticas da Consolação, Freguesia do Ó e Tremembé. Foi a tarde mais fria de 2011.

What were some of the lowest temperatures recorded in the area?

Meanwhile, in Rio de Janeiro, it wasn’t quite as chilly, even though it was the coldest afternoon of the year:

A cidade do Rio de Janeiro registrou hoje a tarde mais fria do ano. Na Vila Militar, em Realengo, na zona oeste, os termômetros marcaram 18,6ºC. Anteriormente, a menor máxima havia sido registrada no dia 28 de maio, em Marambaia, com 21,9ºC.

What was the temperature in Rio today, in Fahrenheit?

Here’s the weather report from Monday.

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What kind of weather were they having on the coast of Rio and São Paulo?

Answers after the jump.

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Weather in Portuguese

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Aug 23 2010

It’s important to know how to talk about o tempo (the weather) in Portuguese, especially when traveling in Brazil. Today we’re going to take a look at a few basic phrases that will help you discuss the forecast and other weather-related issues. 

1. Como vai estar o tempo hoje? Como estará o tempo hoje?

When you want to ask someone about the weather, you can simply ask, What will the weather be like today? You can do this using ir (informal future tense) or estar (proper future tense).

2. Vai chover amanhã? Irá chover amanhã?

Worried about the rain? You can ask, Will it rain tomorrow? using the verb chover (to rain), in conjunction with ir in the present tense (informal) or ir in the future tense (formal).

3. Qual é a previsão do tempo?

To ask about what the weather will be like, you can say, What’s the weather forecast? Previsão do tempo means the weather forecast, so you simply add it to “What is…” to create a question.

4. Vai fazer sol hoje? Irá fazer sol hoje?

To ask if it will be a nice day, you can say “Will it be sunny today?” You can do this using ir in the present tense (informal) or in the future tense (formal).

5. Está fazendo muito frio? Está fazendo muito calor?

To ask about the temperature, you can ask “Is it very cold?” or “Is it very hot?” You can do this using the gerund with fazer (to do/make).

Snowstorm in Portuguese

Posted by Rachel 1 Comment
Feb 26 2010

Up here on the East Coast of the U.S., we had a massive snowstorm (nevasca, in Portuguese). It reminded me of one of my favorite videos of Brazilians living in the U.S., mineiros in Massachusetts shoveling snow in their flip flops.

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Test your knowledge:

1. What’s the temperature outside, according to the cameraman?

2. What’s the word for “ice”?

3. What’s a “pá“?

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Celebrity Tips for Rainy Days in Rio

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Jan 9 2009

Rio de Janeiro is known best for outdoor activities, like the beach, Corcovado Mountain, the Sugarloaf, hang gliding, hiking, and more. But there’s no need to despair when it rains, since there are plenty of fun things to do indoors. Globo asked some local celebrities to give tips about what to do in Rio when it rains, so let’s check them out.

Evandro Mesquita, a singer, suggests taking a trip to Santa Teresa on the streetcar to see the beautiful old mansions and to explore the Carioca bohemian scene.

Milton Teixeira, a historian, advises taking a tour of Centro, Rio’s historic downtown area. There, he suggests checking out the National History Museum, the Imperial Palace, the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Municipal Theater, some of which are the finest museums in town. He also suggests visiting the Mosteiro de São Bento, one of the oldest monestaries in Rio where you can admire the barroque architecture and hear the Gregorian chants at mass each morning.

Teixeira, as well as Ricardo Freire, a publicist, insist that tourists shouldn’t miss Confeitaria Colombo, a Rio landmark and cafe/restaurant from the early 1900s with spectacular architecture and delicious food. Though the most famous one is located in Centro, a newer branch is located in the Copacabana Fort.

Camila Pitanga, an actress, suggests exploring the cultural scene, including museums, concerts, and shows. As far as museums go, she encourages tourists to go to the Instituto Moreira Salles in Gavea and the Museu de Arte Moderna in Flamengo.

Brazil Under Water

Posted by Rachel 1 Comment
Nov 25 2008

Over the past two weeks, southern Brazil has been hit with serious rainstorms, causing the most damage in Santa Catarina state. Last week, rainstorms in Rio de Janeiro caused flooding and chaos on the roadways. But the most serious problem is in the interior of Santa Catarina, where around 60 people have died in floods and landslides. Over 43,000 were forced to leave their homes, and are now living with relatives and in public shelters. About 160,000 people throughout the state are without electricity.

The worst hit city is Blumenau, a low-lying town founded by German immigrants that has suffered from floods in the past. The death toll was highest there, after thirteen people died in landslides. The city’s mayor João Paulo Kleinübing declared a state of emergency and has requested medicine and food for the area’s public shelters. Roads and highways crumbled, and gas pipelines from Bolivia were temporarily shut off.

For more images of the flood from Globo, click here.

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