Storms take aim at Uruguay and Argentina, create flash flood concerns
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 27, 2020 4:57 PM EDT
California spring planting is under way and farmworkers say they are vulnerable to the coronavirus.
The harvest of some crops may be delayed in Argentina as a storm brings a quick burst of wet weather and increases the risk of flash flooding before the middle of the week.
A stalled front over central South America brought scattered showers and thunderstorms back to the region over the weekend.
A storm system that has been sitting off the western coast of South America began to move east along the front on Monday, producing areas of rain and thunderstorms from the Chubut province in southern Argentina to southern Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil.
As the storm reorganized after traversing the rugged terrain of the Andes Mountains, it spread heavier downpours to the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Córdoba, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos as well as much of Uruguay Monday and Monday night.
By Tuesday, the heaviest rain will be limited to Buenos Aires Córdoba, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos in addition to southern Uruguay as the storm begins to move away.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls, the heaviest rain can bring rainfall totals of 25-75 mm (1-3 inches) through the course of the storm.
In areas that receive multiple heavy thunderstorms or extended periods of rain, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 150 mm (6 inches) is possible.
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"Locally strong thunderstorms that produce gusty winds and hail are possible in northern Argentina and Uruguay into Tuesday," added Nicholls.
The rain will be welcome after an unusually dry end to the summer. Parts of northern Argentina recorded only 30-65% of their normal rainfall during the month of March.
Many cities have remained well below normal in rainfall amounts through the first half of April, including Buenos Aires, which has received only about 20% of normal rainfall so far this month.
However, the looming deluge may trigger flooding issues as well as delay the harvest of some crops.
Too much rain in a short period of time can result in flash flooding, especially in areas where the ground will be slow to absorb the influx of water.
The wet weather may also hinder the already struggling agricultural industry. Crop yield estimates have already decreased due to the ongoing pandemic, and now rain soaked could delay the harvest of some cotton, soybean and corn crops, according to Nicholls.
The storm system is forecast to move east into the second half of the week. However, a few showers and thunderstorms can linger across northern Argentina and Uruguay through the end of the week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather Forecasts
Storms take aim at Uruguay and Argentina, create flash flood concerns
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 27, 2020 4:57 PM EDT
California spring planting is under way and farmworkers say they are vulnerable to the coronavirus.
The harvest of some crops may be delayed in Argentina as a storm brings a quick burst of wet weather and increases the risk of flash flooding before the middle of the week.
A stalled front over central South America brought scattered showers and thunderstorms back to the region over the weekend.
A storm system that has been sitting off the western coast of South America began to move east along the front on Monday, producing areas of rain and thunderstorms from the Chubut province in southern Argentina to southern Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil.
As the storm reorganized after traversing the rugged terrain of the Andes Mountains, it spread heavier downpours to the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Córdoba, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos as well as much of Uruguay Monday and Monday night.
By Tuesday, the heaviest rain will be limited to Buenos Aires Córdoba, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos in addition to southern Uruguay as the storm begins to move away.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls, the heaviest rain can bring rainfall totals of 25-75 mm (1-3 inches) through the course of the storm.
In areas that receive multiple heavy thunderstorms or extended periods of rain, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 150 mm (6 inches) is possible.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"Locally strong thunderstorms that produce gusty winds and hail are possible in northern Argentina and Uruguay into Tuesday," added Nicholls.
The rain will be welcome after an unusually dry end to the summer. Parts of northern Argentina recorded only 30-65% of their normal rainfall during the month of March.
Many cities have remained well below normal in rainfall amounts through the first half of April, including Buenos Aires, which has received only about 20% of normal rainfall so far this month.
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However, the looming deluge may trigger flooding issues as well as delay the harvest of some crops.
Too much rain in a short period of time can result in flash flooding, especially in areas where the ground will be slow to absorb the influx of water.
The wet weather may also hinder the already struggling agricultural industry. Crop yield estimates have already decreased due to the ongoing pandemic, and now rain soaked could delay the harvest of some cotton, soybean and corn crops, according to Nicholls.
The storm system is forecast to move east into the second half of the week. However, a few showers and thunderstorms can linger across northern Argentina and Uruguay through the end of the week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo