Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Argentina Issues Wide Storm Alerts as Holiday Downpours Trigger Metro Buenos Aires Flooding

Orange warnings flag short, intense rainfall with hail plus gusts near 90 km/h across several northern and central provinces.

Overview

  • The National Meteorological Service kept yellow and orange alerts in force for Dec. 24–25 across a large swath of the country, including Córdoba, Corrientes, Santa Fe, Chaco, La Rioja, Tucumán, Salta and San Luis, with CABA and Buenos Aires province under a yellow alert.
  • Orange-level areas face frequent lightning, possible hail, rainfall that can total 80–150 mm in short periods, and gusts that may exceed 90 km/h, while yellow-level zones could see 30–60 mm and gusts near 80 km/h.
  • Intense, localized storms on Dec. 24 flooded parts of the Greater Buenos Aires area, inundating the Panamericana/Acceso Norte at Km 19 and causing leaks at the Unicenter shopping center, as operators and emergency crews worked traffic and drainage issues.
  • The weather service also warned of extreme west-sector winds in Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego, forecasting sustained speeds of 45–55 km/h with gusts that could locally top 90 km/h.
  • Forecast guidance diverged in Mendoza where the provincial contingency agency maintained a chance of isolated Nochebuena storms while the national service and a private outlet projected no rain, and Córdoba authorities enforced the citywide fireworks ban during holiday controls.