Brazil experiencing unusually cold weather

In Rio de Janeiro, bold swimmers have been discouraged from diving into the cold ocean as Brazil's south experienced unusually low temperatures on Friday.

Temperatures on Friday morning dropped below 23 Fahrenheit in Santa Catarina state, covering several municipalities with a thin layer of snow.

Earlier this week, authorities in Rio Grande do Sul, canceled soccer matches, closed public buildings early and suspended classes in schools and universities due to fears of major disruptions.  There, nearly 182,000 homes were left without electricity on Tuesday.

Weather forecasters said the cold wave is trapped by a storm in the country's South and will extend into next Tuesday, while the Navy expects that 4-meter tall waves could continue to hit Rio's shores until Friday night.

Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology issued an alert on Thursday, predicting strong winds all day long between the cities of Rio and Curitiba, which lies 510 miles south of the country's postcard city.