(From Santiago, Chile) Last week the call “extratropical cyclone” hit Chile with heavy rains and winds that caused havoc in much of the country, including the evacuation of residents from a building in Viña del Mar as a result of an immense sinkhole. However, the authorities are on alert because this Monday another front system entered yet more intensewhich between the regions of Maule and Aysén will be unleashed like an atmospheric river category 5, cataloged by meteorologists as “exceptional and dangerous.”
In fact, in regions like El Maule, Ñuble and Biobío About 90 mm of rain is forecast, so there is a high probability of floods and landslides.
Meanwhile, in the central zone, the frontal system would arrive accompanied by an atmospheric river category 3that is, somewhat lighter, but the same with abundant rains and moderate winds.
This new front-end system is expected to spread all weekgiving way to a great cold anticyclone that will leave frosts from Atacama to the south.
According to the Meteored meteorologist, Viviana Urbinathe atmospheric river category scale ranges from 1 to 5″ where 1 is the lowest classification category, the impacts of which are primarily beneficial. Category 5, the maximum, is associated with impacts mainly dangerous in the regions where the atmospheric river acts.”
As an example, the “extratropical cyclone” that left abundant rains last week was accompanied by an atmospheric river of category 3 to 4.
“The atmospheric river scheduled for next week will reach Chile with maximum category. It will be a week of abundant and intense rainfall in a good part of the continental territory,” said Urbina.
The concern is that the terrain will be saturated by the rains of the current frontal system, which “could generate favorable conditions for the detachment of land in some sectors as well as floods locals,” the specialist warned.
According to data received from the European Center for Medium-Range Forecasting (ECMWF) as well as the North American model (GFS), this new front system will run from this Monday until Friday the 14th, “when the arrival of a large cold anticyclonewith potential to leave frost in the regions of the central and southern zone of Chile and produce a significant decrease in temperatures as far as the Atacama Region, in the north.”
Although it is still too early to determine the amount of millimeters of rain that could fall throughout the week, Urbina explained that the intensity of the atmospheric river – which is nothing more than the transport of water vapor that moves from one point to another – make us foresee “more than 90 mm above the weekly average, especially in the interior stretch of the Maule, in the Ñuble Region and also over the Biobío.”
Of course, there is good news, and that is that unlike the previous event, the precipitation that will reach mountain sectors “will be mostly solid, of the type snow”, decreasing the risk of landslides. The meteorologist called for prevention in the event of possible flooding of rivers and channels, as well as probable flooding in urban areas.
In this sense, the Meteorological Directorate of Chile (DMC) has already issued a red alert that covers the stretch that goes between the regions of Maule, Ñuble and Biobío and the pertinent authorities are monitoring the situation and waiting for the abundant rainfall that will fall in that area, especially between the Wednesday and Thursday night This week.
