A new cold front will cause a sharp drop in temperatures later this week but no crop damaging frost in the key coffee growing state of Minas Gerais, private meteorologists Somar said Monday.
Temperatures are forecast to fall sharply early Thursday and on Friday in Minas Gerais, sinking to 3 Celsius (37 Fahrenheit) in higher areas of Varginha and 4 Celsius in the Pocos de Caldas district. A low of 6 Celsius is expected in northern Parana.
A polar air mass linked to the cold front will have core pressure of 1,025 millibars. Pressure of at least 1030 mb in the coffee zone is required to set off frost alarm bells.
Rain brought in by the cold weather system will disrupt harvesting in Parana and Sao Paulo states through Wednesday and, to a lesser extent, in Minas Gerais.
Another cold front is set to sweep into the coffee belt in early June, Somar added.
"This new mass of polar air is weak and won't cause a big drop in temperatures in the coffee belt," it said.