Drought worsens and reaches 68% of Brazilian territory in November.

The area affected by drought in Brazil increased between October and November 2025, rising from 59% to 68% of the national territory, according to the most recent update from the Drought Monitor. The phenomenon intensified mainly in the Central-West, Northeast, and Southeast regions, while it eased in the South and remained stable in severity in the North.

In terms of intensity, the severity of the drought decreased in four states during the period: Acre, Amazonas, Bahia, and Paraná. On the other hand, the phenomenon worsened in 19 states, including Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and several states in the Northeast. The situation remained stable in Amapá, the Federal District, and Santa Catarina. In Rio Grande do Sul, the drought reappeared in November, after being absent the previous month.

Among the regions monitored, the South presented the mildest situation in November. The Northeast, however, experienced the most critical situation, with 21% of its area under extreme drought – the worst regional record since March 2019. In a month-to-month comparison, the severity of the drought increased in the Central-West, Northeast, and Southeast regions, decreased in the South, and remained stable in the North.

Regarding the territorial extent of the phenomenon, there was an increase in the affected area in the Central-West, Southeast, and South regions. In the Northeast and North, the area affected by drought remained practically unchanged. Ten states registered an expansion of the affected area, notably Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Espírito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro. Conversely, five states showed a reduction in the affected area, including Acre, Amazonas, and Paraná. In the other 11 states, there was no significant variation.

In November, eight states experienced drought affecting 100% of their territories: Ceará, Federal District, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Tocantins. In the remaining states where the phenomenon occurred, the percentages of affected area varied between 27% and 94%.

Considering the absolute area affected by the drought, Mato Grosso led the ranking in November, followed by Amazonas, Minas Gerais, Bahia, and Pará. In total, the affected area in the country totaled approximately 5,7 million square kilometers, equivalent to more than two-thirds of the Brazilian territory.