The Servicio Nacional de Prevención y Respuesta ante Desastres (Senapred, Chile's national disaster prevention and response agency) declared a Preventive Early Warning (Alerta Temprana Preventiva) for the Región Metropolitana (the Santiago metropolitan region) on Friday, October 16. The measure responds to the forecast of thunderstorms, rain and wind for the coming days.
According to CNN Chile, the decision was based on current advisories from the Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (DMC, Chile's weather service). Senapred coordinated it with the Delegación Presidencial Regional Metropolitana (the presidential delegation for the region). The warning has been in effect since Friday and will remain in place "for as long as conditions warrant it."
For Monday the 19th and Tuesday, October 20, the DMC forecasts probable thunderstorms, with a chance of hail and strong local wind gusts. The sources do not specify which comunas (municipalities) or areas of the region would be most affected.
The DMC also issued an advisory for normal to moderate precipitation in the Coastal Range, the valley and the Andean foothills between Tuesday the 20th and Wednesday the 21st. For the same dates, an advisory for normal to moderate wind is in effect in the mountains.
The frontal system will also reach the Norte Chico. Senapred's regional office, together with the Delegación Presidencial Regional de Coquimbo, declared the same warning for that region, in effect since Friday. According to Meganoticias, rainfall will increase day by day and Tuesday would be the most intense day. Up to 30 millimeters are projected in La Serena in a single day. According to that outlet, the system will affect central Chile and reach as far as Los Lagos during the coming week.
The Preventive Early Warning is the level of heightened monitoring. It involves "precise and rigorous" monitoring of risk conditions and the coordination and activation of the Sistema Nacional de Prevención y Respuesta ante Desastres (Sinapred). This system brings together the agencies that respond in emergencies. According to Meganoticias, the warning also includes having emergency teams ready to respond immediately to the effects of the storm.
Senapred announced the declaration on its X account, where it attributed it to a "weather event." The sources do not include specific recommendations for the public. It is therefore advisable to follow official advisories from Senapred and the DMC, especially on Tuesday the 20th, when the thunderstorms and the heaviest rain coincide.
