Uruguay Issues Severe Weather Alert for Heavy Storms and Rainfall

Uruguay's Institute of Meteorology (Inumet) has issued a public warning for "very strong storms" and "copious rainfall" expected to begin early Sunday morning and continue through Wednesday. The alert forecasts significant daily precipitation, with daily amounts possibly reaching 70-100 mm, and accumulated totals potentially surpassing 250 mm in some areas.

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Between the early morning of Sunday 16 and the afternoon of Wednesday 19, a warm front will affect the country. This will generate copious rains and very strong storms.

In addition to heavy rain, residents can expect strong wind gusts, hail, and intense electrical activity within storm zones. The most affected regions are anticipated to be the north, center, and east of the country. This severe weather outlook is closely tied to an exceptionally intense El Niño phenomenon.

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The most significant daily precipitation is expected to be around 70-100 mm, and it is estimated that the accumulated values during the entire event may exceed 250 mm in some places. In storm areas, strong wind gusts, hail, and intense electrical activity can be recorded.

Meteorologist Mario Bidegain confirmed that the current El Niño event, which began this year and is projected to last until 2027, is shaping up to be one of the most powerful ever recorded. He noted that the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) continues to project a "very strong" El Niño for November and December 2026, with sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific Ocean reaching +3.5 to +4.0°C, and potentially up to +5°C above average in the eastern Pacific.

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No living human being has ever seen such an intense El Niño phenomenon.

Bidegain stated that such an intense El Niño has not been witnessed by anyone alive today. He compared its current strength to previous powerful events, suggesting that this one may surpass even the 1997/1998 and 2015/2016 occurrences. The term "super El Niño" was previously used for the 2015-2016 event when warming reached nearly three degrees Celsius above normal, a mark expected to be exceeded this time.

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The ECMWF forecast for November and December 2026 continues to project a 'very strong' Niño with temperature anomalies of +3.5 to +4.0°C.