Heavy torrential rains hit Brazil’s capital Rio de Janeiro on the night between April 8 and 9, giving rise to flash floods. According to a report by Al Jazeera, ten people have been killed and a state of emergency has been declared.

The average rainfall in Rio during April is 95 mm, but the flash floods ensued when 246 mm of rain fell on to the city in just nine hours. In many videos available on social media, water can be seen gushing through the streets of the city, engulfing vehicles and uprooting trees.

According to reports, schools in the city were closed and people were asked to avoid stepping out of their homes.