SAO PAULO, 7th September, 2023 (WAM/AFP) -- The death toll from a cyclone that unleashed torrential rain and flooding on southern Brazil rose to at least 36 on Wednesday, authorities said, as the region braced for more violent weather.

With the flood waters forcing some residents to climb onto their roofs, a major emergency operation was underway, with one official saying more than 1,000 people were awaiting rescue.

The storms, which started Monday, left whole neighbourhoods submerged in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.