A high-resolution mesoscale model was used to investigate the impact of deforestation in Amazonia. Coherent mesoscale circulations were triggered by the surface heterogeneity; synoptic flow did not eliminate the circulations but advected them away from the location where they were generated. This was substantiated by satellite-derived cloud images. These circulations affected the transport of moisture and heat at the synoptic scale and can affect climate. Adequate parameterizations for these processes should be included in GCMs for more accurate climate simulations.