At least 23 dead as storms hit south-eastern Brazil

At least 23 people have died in severe storms in south-eastern Brazil.
Fifteen deaths were reported in the state of Espírito Santo, 13 of them in the town of Mimoso do Sul, news agency Agência Brasil said on Sunday citing the local civil protection agency.
Four of the dead were killed by a landslide in the popular tourist resort of Petrópolis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Agência Brasil reported earlier, citing the authorities.
There were further fatalities in the cities of Teresópolis, Arraial do Cabo and Duque de Caxias, also in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Heavy overnight rains had caused flooding, flash floods and lanslides on Saturday. In Espírito Santo, which borders Rio de Janeiro to the north, more than 4,400 people were brought to safety, a spokesman for the civil protection agency said. More than 270 lost their homes.
Despite the continuing rain, rescue workers managed to reach areas cut off by the flooding on Sunday.
In Rio de Janeiro, emergency workers were able to rescue more than 90 people across the state, according to local government officials.
Forecasts continue to call for further rain. It is now late summer in the southern hemisphere and heavy rainfall is common in tropical latitudes at this time of year.
According to Agência Brasil, more than 300 millimetres fell in 24 hours in Petrópolis, which is located around 70 kilometres north of the coastal metropolis of Rio de Janeiro at an altitude of over 800 metres.