Rio, March 29, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The extratropical cyclone which left a swathe of destruction in 41 cities in the South of the country in the early morning hours, yesterday (28), is already scattering and losing force. This information comes from Ana Maria Matos, a meteorologist at the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET). She ruled out the possibility of the cyclone's reaching Rio de Janeiro. According to Matos, the satellite images show only a small area of clouds in the north of Rio Grande do Sul and along the coast of Santa Catarina, which should receive only light rains and weak and moderate winds. The region was the area most heavily hit by the passage of the cyclone.

During the extratropical cyclone, christened with the name of "Catarina," wind speeds attained 150 kilometers per hour. Two people were killed, and hundreds were forced to abandon their homes. The beach resort of Torres, in Rio Grande do Sul, was one of the areas that suffered greatest damage.

The Santa Catarina Port Authority was still searching for the 12 crew members of 2 fishing boats that sank after being tossed by waves up to 5 meters.

The Secretariat of Civil Defense of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro continues to monitor the INMET's satellite images and remains in a state of alert. According to the Civil Defense, the precautions are due to the fact that cyclone "Catarina" caused much more devastation than was anticipated in the South of the country.

Translator: David Silberstein