Argentina issues red and orange alerts for extreme cold, storms, and winds affecting 12 provinces

Argentina is bracing for severe weather as the National Meteorological Service (SMN) has issued a series of red, orange, and yellow alerts across 12 provinces. These warnings cover extreme cold, storms, and strong winds, following a weekend of unstable weather and a slight temperature increase.

The most severe warning, a red alert for extreme cold, is active in western Santa Cruz. The SMN indicates that this region could experience temperatures with "high to extreme effects on health," posing significant danger even to healthy individuals. Lighter yellow alerts for cold are in place for the westernmost part of Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego.

In addition to the cold, yellow alerts for storms have been issued for northern La Pampa, southern San Luis, and eastern Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, and Corrientes. These areas can expect isolated storms of varying intensity, some potentially severe, with heavy rainfall in short periods, hail, strong gusts, and significant electrical activity. Accumulated rainfall could reach 20 to 50 millimeters, possibly exceeding these amounts in some locations.

Furthermore, a yellow alert for winds is in effect for western Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero, and La Rioja. Wind speeds are expected to range between 30 and 45 kilometers per hour, with gusts over 70 kilometers per hour. This phenomenon could reduce visibility, cause sudden temperature increases, and lead to very low relative humidity. Finally, an orange alert for snowfall is active for the mountainous region of Mendoza, with yellow alerts for the same areas in San Juan, Neuquén, and Río Negro. Between 40 and 70 centimeters of snow are expected, potentially more in specific spots.