The Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (DMC), Chile's national weather service, issued warnings for likely thunderstorms with hail and strong wind gusts in parts of seven regions between Saturday, October 24, and Monday, October 26, according to Cooperativa.
The forecasts vary by day and area. On Saturday, attention is focused on central Chile. Storms could affect parts of the Región Metropolitana (the Santiago metropolitan region), O'Higgins and Maule, in the Cordillera de la Costa (coastal range), the valley, the Andean foothills and the Andes.
The DMC links the phenomenon to atmospheric instability. It also warned that hail could fall and that there would be strong local wind gusts.
On Sunday, the focus shifts to the far south. In the Magallanes Region, Meteorología forecast likely thunderstorms from the afternoon into the night, also due to atmospheric instability. The warning covers Cordillera Austral Norte, Insular Norte, Pampa Patagónica Norte and Pampa Patagónica Sur.
Meanwhile, the Servicio Nacional de Prevención y Respuesta ante Desastres (Senapred), Chile's national disaster prevention and response agency, said it modified the event and coverage of the preventive early alert for the provinces of Magallanes, Última Esperanza and Tierra del Fuego. The alert has been in effect since October 22 and will remain in place as long as conditions require.
According to the agency, the alert aims to strengthen monitoring of hazards and of vulnerability conditions that could arise if these weather events occur.
On Monday, October 26, the DMC expects a different scenario. It issued a new warning for likely thunderstorms in six regions: Valparaíso, Metropolitana, O'Higgins, Maule, Ñuble and Biobío. The storms could develop in the afternoon and night, associated with an upper-level trough.
For that day, Meteorología also warned that hail could fall. The geographic distribution of Monday's warning differs from Saturday's, which included the Cordillera de la Costa and the valley in central Chile. The source does not specify which areas it covers in each region.
The report also does not include specific recommendations for the public. It is therefore advisable to follow the official channels of the DMC and Senapred, which could update the warnings before Monday, October 26.
