Brazil crop areas getting below average rain: meteorologists

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Southeastern Brazil is expected to get about half the normal amount of rainfall for this time of year by Jan. 27, the Reuters Weather dashboard showed on Monday, renewing concerns over the area's crops and reservoirs. An atmospheric blockage is preventing cold air from advancing, resulting in limited, scattered showers in what should be the region's rainiest month of the year. The blockage has extended to the center-west soy belt, which had average rainfall in December, Somar meteorologists said. Somar said the blockage should break around Jan. 22, possibly bringing between 30 and 70 mm of rainfall to the center-west and southeast between Jan. 22 and 26. That would probably not be enough to bring rainfall back to historical norms. (Reporting by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)