Brazil hit by more rain as flooding death toll rises to 59

Residents in Brazil's Minas Gerais state faced blocked roads, closed shops and streets under water on Thursday following more heavy rain overnight as the death toll from recent floods and landslides reached 59, authorities said.

Rescuers continued to search for victims on the third day since the catastrophe began late Monday, causing floods, landslides, collapsed houses and shuttered schools.

Minas Gerais's fire department said 15 people are still missing and more than 230 have been rescued. More than 5,500 people have been forced to leave their homes.

Brazil's meteorology institute, Inmet, said on Thursday morning that more rain with strong winds was forecast, and pointed to a risk of power outages, falling tree branches, flooding and lightning strikes.

All the victims have been found in Juiz de Fora and Uba, about 310 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro.

The authorities in Juiz de Fora, where a state of public calamity has been declared, ordered the evacuation of homes along dozens of roads and said residents would be able to shelter in nearby schools.

Inmet warned of "great danger" until Friday evening in parts of Minas Gerais as well as other Brazilian states including Rio and Sao Paulo due to the heavy rains. Those areas are all at risk of landslides, river overflows and major flooding, the body said.

The fire department has advised residents to look for signs that their properties may have been damaged or are at risk of collapse, such as cracks in bulging walls, fissures and stuck doors and windows. Outside, muddy water flowing down hillsides, leaning trees and utility poles and cracking sounds coming from the ground all signal imminent danger, it said.

Minas Gerais state health secretariat has issued an epidemiological alert providing guidance for health services and the general population to prevent diseases related to contaminated water, such as leptospirosis, the state's communications agency said in a statement on Thursday.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated on Tuesday that security forces have been deployed on rescue missions and are providing immediate assistance to the population affected by the rain. The federal government has authorized the release of around 3.4 million reais (around $660,000) for reconstruction efforts and humanitarian assistance.

Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.