Roberto Rondanelli, an academic from the Department of Geophysics at the University of Chile, details that, although its size is very large, in these cases the most important thing is “the wind inside.” The researcher at the Center for Climate and Resilience Science (CR2) also indicates, in any case, that “the winds of this cyclone are not as intense as one might think” and adds that “the main characteristic of this cyclone is its duration.” more than its intensity.”
Starting this Monday, part of the national territory will be affected by an extratropical cyclone, which is a abnormal concentration of clouds orbiting a center of low atmospheric pressure. But what does this phenomenon mean for our country? The academic of the Department of Geophysics of the University of Chile and researcher at the Center for Climate and Resilience Science (CR2), Roberto Rondanellipoints out that “this type of cyclones are typical of winter, They occur very commonly in southern Chile“, and the characteristic of this one is that it moves very, very slowly, and that it has a lot of humidity.”
“There are going to be areas of the country that They are going to receive a lot of precipitation and the precipitation is going to occur for several days in a row in some parts. For example, in the area south of Biobío it will be raining starting tomorrow, Tuesday, probably with interruptions, by the way, at least until the next Tuesday, that is, a full week of rain, and in the central area of Chile, In Santiago in particular, it should also start raining on Saturday and continue for several days”, detailed Rondanelli.
For his part, the academic from the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of Chile and also a researcher at the Center for Climate and Resilience Science (CR2), Pablo Sarricoleaexplains that, unlike the frontal system that the south-central zone faced a week ago, “This extratropical cyclone would have as part of it, an atmospheric riverthat is, it is combined with the atmospheric rivers and with a cloud band that comes from the tropical zone and that feeds this extratropical cyclone.”
Effects of the extra tropical cyclone
Professor Rondanelli states that “The main characteristic of this cyclone is its duration rather than its intensity”. He also adds that one of the striking characteristics “is that It is a very large extratropical cyclone, which is close in size to the South American continent.” However, he clarifies that “in reality the size of the cyclone is not so important to understand the impacts it may have, but rather the wind. Many times a much smaller cyclone can be more dangerous, if it contains stronger inland winds. In this case, The winds of this cyclone are not as intense as one might think. We have already had much more intense extratropical cyclones. For example, the last one that people can remember is August 8, 2015.”
Professor Sarricolea states that “You have to be careful, that is, you have to be prepared because it will actually affect many kilometers of Chile.”. It is seen on the map that in the interior part of Araucanía, in five days more than 200 ml of water could accumulate, so that is the complex part.” He adds, on the other hand, that “some water could reach the south of La Serena, but not much, and more to the center, in Valparaíso, Santiago and Rancagua, it is a level 2 atmospheric river, which is more beneficial than dangerouswith an amount of rain that is normal for the month of June.”
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