A Strong Storm of Rain and Wind Affects Argentina

On Thursday, heavy rains and winds affected various areas of Argentina, causing dozens of flights to be delayed at the country's main airports.

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The National Meteorological Service (SMN) declared an "orange alert for rain" at 2:00 p.m. local time in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area and in the east of the Buenos Aires province.

The authorities also established a "yellow alert for rain" in most of the Buenos Aires towns and a "yellow alert for storm" in parts of the provinces of Santa Fe, Corrientes, and Entre Rios. Accumulated precipitation was expected to exceed 70 millimeters locally.

"La Plata suffers from floods, flooded roads, blown roofs, and evacuated families," said Fabian Garcia, the provincial Civil Defense director.

The text reads, "Floods due to a strong rainstorm in Buenos Aires. An intense rainstorm, which began on the night of August 16 in the Argentine central-eastern region, caused serious flooding, various damages, and forced the evacuation of families from Buenos Aires."

The SMN reported that storms with hail and gusts in Buenos Aires, Misiones, Corrientes and Entre Rios. A "yellow alert for rain" is also in effect in the eastern Patagonian region.

According to data from Aerolíneas Argentinas, 22 internal flights were canceled or delayed at the Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires and at the Ministro Pistarini International Airport in the province of Buenos Aires.

The lack of light and the persistent rain have complicated traffic on the streets of Buenos Aires during the day, as well as on the highway connecting the capital with the south of the province. Meanwhile, in the north of the country there is a "very hot environment", with temperatures that can exceed 35 degrees Celsius.

The forecast for Friday and the weekend includes "the formation of a low pressure system", which will cause intense winds in the center, east and south of the province of Buenos Aires, while gusts may exceed 80 kilometers per hour on the Atlantic coast.