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Paraguay River's water level in the Pantanal area remains stable
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Environment & Climate

Paraguay River's water level in the Pantanal area remains stable

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • The Paraguay River's water level in the Pantanal region remains stable despite forecasts of heavy rains due to El Niño.
  • Meteorologists warn that El Niño could bring intense rainfall and potential flash floods starting in late August.
  • River floodings, a slower process, could occur later if heavy rains persist in the Pantanal and across the river basin.

Despite forecasts of abundant rainfall and potential river flooding associated with the El Niño phenomenon, the water level of the Paraguay River in the Pantanal region remains stable for this time of year. The national Directorate of Meteorology has alerted that El Niño's local impact could begin as early as late August, bringing intense rains that might cause flash floods.

The behavior of the river in this northern area of the Pantanal remains stable and within normal parameters for the time of year.

— Abilio AyalaSub-official Abilio Ayala, responsible for the Naval Sub-prefecture of Fuerte Olimpo, described the current river levels.

Flash floods occur when heavy rainfall overwhelms drainage systems, leading to rapid water accumulation that inundates homes, streets, and crops. A different type of flooding, riverine flooding, could follow if sustained heavy rains persist in the Pantanal and throughout the country's main river basins. This could cause rivers to swell and overflow their banks, according to Eduardo Mingo, director of the meteorological institution.

Currently, the river's behavior in the northern Pantanal is within normal parameters for the season. Sub-officer Abilio Ayala, head of the Naval Sub-prefecture in Fuerte Olimpo, confirmed that water levels in the region are even decreasing. The river's height at the Fuerte Olimpo port is currently 4.16 meters and has been receding for nearly a week due to the absence of intense rainfall.

The height of the river at the port of Fuerte Olimpo, on today's date, is 4.16 meters, stationary.

— Abilio AyalaSub-official Abilio Ayala provided specific data on the river's current level.

The water level in Ladario, Brazil, serves as a key reference for potential flooding in Paraguay's Alto Paraguay department. Military officials noted that if the water level in Ladario reaches approximately 5 meters, it is highly probable that areas like Isla Margarita in Carmelo Peralta, and other low-lying zones in the department, will experience flooding.

For example, if the water level in that part of Brazil begins to reach 5 meters, it is almost certain that the flood will affect the population of Isla Margarita, in the district of Carmelo Peralta, as well as other low-lying areas of the department.

— military officialA military official explained the predictive significance of the river level in Ladario, Brazil.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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