Torrential rain and winds caused by an extratropical cyclone have left at least 21 people dead in southern Brazil, officials said Tuesday, warning more flooding may be coming.

The latest in a string of weather disasters to hit Brazil, it is the deadliest ever in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Governor Eduardo Leite told a news conference.

"We were deeply saddened to get the news that as the water recedes... 15 more bodies were found in the town of Mucum, bringing the death toll to 21," he said.

More than 3,700 people were also forced from their homes by the storms, which started Monday, dumping hail and more than 300 millimeters (nearly 12 inches) of rain on the state in less than 24 hours and triggering floods and landslides, officials said.

In Mucum, a small town of 5,000 people, hundreds had to be rescued from their rooftops as the Taquari river flooded more than 85 percent of the city, according to local news site GZH.

"There are still people missing. The death toll might climb higher," Mayor Mateus Trojan told Radio Gaucha.

"The town of Mucum as we knew it no longer exists."

Rescue workers were using helicopters to reach isolated areas cut off by flooding.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent a message of solidarity with those affected, saying the federal government is "ready to help."

Swept away

The storms hit more than 60 cities in all, affecting more than 50,000 people, authorities said.

(AFP)

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