Fortaleza and the Nordeste were solid, hot torrential rain this year, this April-May.

During the three weeks I was there on business, there were 2 days of limited sunshine. Potholes in the roads and highways were best described by locals as " car devouring craters. "

Flying South into to Sao Paulo, it was more rain, but jacket weather. This made the business suit a little more comfortable. TAM GA staff for the outbound flight back to Europe had winter wool overcoats on.

As mentioned, your destination city and time of year might produce more informative results for you. Carnival in Rio for 2012 is already booked quite solid regarding hotels: One can still get there, but finding a place to stay is another matter.