Warning brought forward as storms approach the AMBA
The National Meteorological Service placed the whole Buenos Aires metropolitan area under a yellow alert for Thursday, expecting copious rain, powerful wind gusts and the chance of hail. Around midday the agency said the system could arrive earlier than Wednesday's forecast had suggested, so the warning that had applied only to the night was extended to the afternoon as well.[S1]
The city government, relaying the service's notice, said the capital would see rain and storms of varying strength, some locally strong or at moments severe, accompanied by heavy rainfall over short periods, hail, intense gusts reaching 90 km/h and frequent electrical activity. A yellow alert means weather that can cause damage and may briefly disrupt everyday routines.[S1][S2]
Accumulations were projected at between 40 and 70 millimetres within a few hours, with isolated spots possibly exceeding that. For comparison, the city's average rainfall for the whole of October is 122.9 mm. As of 14:00 the Central Observatory had logged no rain. The service put the chance of strong storms at 40% to 70% in the afternoon, rising to 70% to 100% at night, when the worst was expected.[S1]
A broad band of alerts from Misiones to Chubut
Storms were crossing Argentina on Thursday along a long strip running from Misiones in the northeast to Chubut in the south. Orange alerts, which flag dangerous conditions for people, property and the environment, covered western Entre Ríos, southern Santa Fe, much of Córdoba, northwestern Buenos Aires, northern La Pampa and eastern San Luis, plus large areas of Neuquén and Río Negro.[S1]
Yellow alerts took in further localities across those eight provinces as well as Misiones, Corrientes, parts of Formosa and Chaco, Mendoza and a central and northern band of Chubut. The service also issued yellow warnings for strong winds along western Jujuy, Salta, La Rioja, Catamarca and San Juan, where gusts could reach 100 km/h, with similar conditions expected in central San Juan, Catamarca and La Rioja.[S1]
Authorities urged residents to follow official channels and take precautions against gusts, lightning and temporary flooding. The unsettled spell extends a long run of cloudy, wet days in the capital and its suburbs, while heavy rain in Brazil, linked to El Niño, has swollen rivers in central Argentina and the Litoral, where flooding and waterlogged ground have been reported.[S1][S2]
Friday offers little relief
The official outlook for Friday 23 October keeps showers and drizzle over the metropolitan area from the early hours through the afternoon, so unstable conditions are likely to persist for much of the day. Attention stays on how hard it rains during Thursday afternoon and evening, and on whether totals in some parts of the AMBA end up above the forecast range.[S1][S2]
