Intense rains in southern Peru trigger mudslides, disrupting roads and traffic

Southern Peru is grappling with severe disruptions after intense rainfall triggered destructive mudslides, locally termed 'huaicos'. The regions of Tacna and Ilo have been particularly hard-hit, with roads, homes, and public buildings suffering damage. The natural disaster has also led to significant restrictions on both land and air transportation.

The National Emergency Operations Center (COEN) reported a major huaico in the Quebrada de los Burros area of Tacna, affecting the Costanera highway at kilometer 68.5. Efforts to clear the debris were temporarily halted due to falling rocks, according to the COEN. Social media images depict stranded trucks and passenger buses caught in the mudslides and on damaged sections of the highway.

Further complicating the situation, a section of the Costanera highway at kilometer 25.5, connecting Tacna with Ilo, collapsed, creating a deep sinkhole. A private vehicle fell into the chasm, but its occupant managed to escape before being engulfed by mud. Another huaico near kilometer 68.5 reportedly buried a National Police vehicle, though no injuries were reported.

In Ilo, heavy rains caused damage to a railway line, homes, a hospital, and public facilities, also devastating a sports field. Commercial flights at Tacna's Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa International Airport have been temporarily restricted due to the ongoing adverse weather conditions, with forecasters anticipating more rain.

Peruvian authorities have escalated their forecast for the El Niño Costero phenomenon, now predicting it to be "strong and extraordinary." This event, characterized by an unusual rise in sea surface temperatures off the coast of Peru and Ecuador, is known to cause torrential rains. The National Institute for the Study of El Niño (Enfen) expects El Niño Costero to persist with this high intensity through the summer in the central and northern parts of the country. The global El Niño phenomenon, driven by warmer waters in the central equatorial Pacific, could further intensify these coastal impacts.

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The continuation of El Niño Costero is predicted with a more probable magnitude between strong and extraordinary until the summer (December) in the center and north of the country.