Meteorological phenomena are natural events that occur in the atmosphere and have a direct impact on the electricity sector, affecting the generation, transmission, distribution and even consumption of energy in homes, public places and businesses.

These events can cause supply interruptions, costly damage to infrastructure and significant operational challenges, especially in times of climate change consequences around the world.

Find out here how the electricity sector can prepare for extreme weather events.

What are meteorological phenomena?

Weather phenomena are events associated with climate and weather that occur in the atmosphere. They can have a natural origin or occur as a result of human activity. Most of the time, they can be monitored by equipment and analyzed by a meteorologist - a professional who studies atmospheric phenomena and issues weather forecasts to the public, based on data collected by satellites and computer models.

Although there are many, the most prominent weather phenomena are: heat or cold waves, cyclones, droughts, torrential rain and ice storms.

How weather phenomena can impact the electricity sector

According to data from the ONS (National System Operator), in 2025 extreme weather events were responsible for a significant proportion of shutdowns in the Brazilian electricity system, reaching almost 40% in some periods.

Check out how some phenomena can directly impact the electricity sector:

Severe storms: these can cause transmission lines and poles to collapse, short circuits due to electrical discharges and long-term outages;

Extreme winds (hurricanes, storms and cyclones): these can damage the physical structures of the electricity grid and cause large-scale failures;

Floods and heavy rain: these can flood substations, damage transformers, compromise the stability of the electricity network and interrupt physical access to installations, as well as causing corrosion and short circuits, accelerating the deterioration of equipment;

Heat waves: prolonged periods of above-normal temperatures can increase energy consumption (high demand for air conditioning) and cause transformers and cables to heat up, reducing efficiency and potentially causing failures;

Prolonged droughts: periods of significantly below-average rainfall mainly affect hydroelectric power stations - one of the main sources of energy in many countries, such as Brazil;

Ice storms: in cold regions, accumulated ice sheets can break poles and transmission lines;

Geomagnetic storms: even with a lower chance of occurring, solar flares can induce electrical currents in the grid, overloading large transformers and potentially causing large-scale blackouts if there is no adequate mitigation.

What have been the most important weather phenomena in recent years?

Increasingly frequent due to climate change, meteorological phenomena have marked the history of Brazil and the world with events that impact the lives of millions of people. Some examples are

El Niño

One of the strongest El Niño events on record took place between 2023 and 2024 and altered rainfall and temperature patterns globally, causing droughts, floods, heatwaves and forest fires in various regions of the planet.

As a result, regions faced severe drought, damaging agriculture and hydroelectric generation, and extreme rainfall caused flooding in different countries.

Extreme heatwaves globally

Several countries have recorded record temperatures, with heatwaves intensified by global warming in recent times. The year 2024 was considered one of the hottest ever recorded and extreme heat events continued in 2025. In 2026, Australia recorded temperatures above 40 °C and a high risk of forest fires.

Funfact: Ocean warming is reaching record levels, which is amplifying extreme heat waves and lateral storms.

Severe storms and intense cyclones

Windstorms, cyclones and hurricanes continue to cause major damage around the world. In July 2021, as much rain fell in a single day as fell in an entire year in Zhengzhou, China. In 2023, in São Paulo, intense winds and rains left millions of people without electricity and dozens dead. In 2025, Hurricane Melissa, in the Atlantic, caused intense winds and rain in the Caribbean and parts of the United States.

Floods and heavy rains

Heavy rains have caused floods and landslides with significant impacts. In 2024, in Brazil, the state of Rio Grande do Sul suffered one of the worst floods in the country's history. Several heavy rainfall events in a short space of time affected millions of people and basic infrastructure in the capital and nearby regions. In Europe, Storm Boris brought extreme rainfall and flooding to many regions.

Forest fires

Fires in forested areas are becoming more and more frequent all over the world. One of the coldest regions in the world, Siberia experienced its driest summer in 150 years in 2021; as a result, a mega fire consumed more than one and a half million hectares in Russia.

In South Korea in 2025, devastating forest fires burned tens of thousands of hectares and required massive efforts to combat. Similar events have occurred in California (USA) and Australia in recent years, driven by droughts and heatwaves.

Weather phenomena and the electricity supply: how companies should be prepared

Weather phenomena, mostly intense winds, mainly impact power transmission lines, causing fires, electrical discharges and erosions, thus causing power to be disconnected and major losses for companies and society.

A recent report points out that extreme weather events, such as floods, fires and storms, will be responsible for almost half of the blackouts and interruptions in the US electricity sector in 2025, with global economic losses estimated at more than 131 billion dollars.

In this scenario, the electricity sector needs to be even more prepared and attentive to climate change, with smarter and more resilient networks, capable of withstanding climate variations and maintaining a stable supply, even during extreme periods.

Find out more about weather phenomena and climate change with Neoenergia:

• Climate Change
• Myths and truths: Climate Change
• Flood safety
• Safety in the Rain
• Neoenergia Renewable Complex has remote, real-time monitoring of wind and solar radiation
• Burning in Brazil