Search and rescue teams raced to find dozens of people that remained missing after heavy rains devastated coastal areas of Brazil's south-eastern São Paulo state, as the official death toll rose to 48.

"We are currently working with a tally of at least 38 missing people," the São Paulo governor, Tarcísio de Freitas, told reporters on Wednesday, as weather forecasters cautioned more rain was on its way.

© Fernando Marron
The destruction left by a landslide after torrential rain in the Barra do Sahy district of São Sebastiao, São Paulo state.

The number of casualties rose from 46 a day earlier, the São Paulo state government said in a statement. Rescue operations were continuing and firefighters, police and volunteers still hoped to find people alive in the rubble of houses slammed by the landslides. 1,730 people have been displaced and 1,810 left homeless, according to the São Paulo state government.

The city of São Sebastiao, located about 200km (124.3 miles) from São Paulo, bore the brunt of the human toll, with 47 of the reported deaths. But nearby towns such as Ilhabela, Caraguatatuba, Bertioga and Ubatuba were also heavily affected.

The state government said more rain was expected on Wednesday as a new cold front favours the formation of heavy clouds over the region, with "moderate to heavy showers" forecast to fall until early evening, after a cloudy morning.

Death Toll From Brazil Landslides Rises to 65

As of Sunday, the death toll had climbed to 65 a week after heavy rains sparked deadly floods and landslides along the coast of Brazil's Sao Paulo state.

Among the fatal victims were 19 minors, the state government said, adding "the priority continues to be relief for the victims." Army troops, firefighters, volunteers and rescue workers are still digging to recover the bodies of the victims and search for people still missing.

Most of the victims lived in poor neighborhoods in high-risk areas on the slopes of the Sierra de Mar mountain range, near Barra do Sahy, a beach in Sao Sebastiao. Around 2,440 people who lost their homes had to be evacuated due to the risk of new landslides.

On Sunday, coastal roads were reopened after being closed due to landslides and storm damage. However, the highway that links Mogi da Cruzes with Bertioga in Sao Paulo state will remain closed for six months since the rains destroyed its drainage system.

On Feb. 19, the coastal cities of Bertioga, Caraguatatuba, Guaruja, Ilhabela, Sao Sebastiao and Ubatuba saw record pouring rain in Brazil in less than 24 hours.

Sao Sebastiao's beach, one of Brazil's exclusive tourism destinations, was drenched within one day with more than twice the amount of rain usually seen in February.

It is estimated that around 4 million Brazilians live in 14,000 areas which are at risk from natural disasters, according to data from the Regional Development Ministry.