Cold Weather Proves Killer in Parts of South America

Strange but true: despite blazing hot temperatures, sometimes in the triple digits, sweeping across the United States, the opposite is true in much of South America where a cold front has actually claimed more than 400 lives in parts of Peru and Argentina.
The temperatures, which have hovered in the upper 30s in the southern part of the continent qualify as a rather typical winter by North American standards. But in some places, like the Andes mountains the thermometer has dropped as low as -11 degrees F and decimated alpaca and cattle herds.
The usually subtropical areas affected are particularly vulnerable because the populations are largely poor, live in conditions that are not equipped for cold weather and the governments do not have the infrastructure to handle winter conditions.
However, the Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency, which will allow officials to spend funds on getting aid to those most affected by the cold snap.

Extreme cold prompts state of emergency in Peru

Lima – The government of Peru has declared a state of emergency as winter temperatures in large parts of the South American country plunge to record lows, media reports said Saturday.
So far, at least 100 people have died in the worst cold spell in 46 years.
The state of emergency applies in 17 of Peru’s 25 regions. The measure would facilitate the distribution of food, shelter and medicine, according to the media.
The situation is particularly critical in Andean highlands in the south of the country, where temperatures of minus 23 centigrade have been recorded. In forest areas, where temperatures average around 30 centigrade, the mercury has fallen to 10 centigrade.
In the capital Lima, where the climate is typically subtropical, temperatures dipped to around eight degrees.

LIMA – The Peruvian government declared a state of emergency because of the cold wave gripping a number of districts in 16 of the nation’s 24 regions, according to an urgent decree published Saturday in the official gazette.

The decree covers all districts of the country more than 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) above sea level, as well as three regions in the Peruvian jungle that have registered strangely low temperatures in the last few weeks.

According to official figures, so far this year at least 409 people have died of pneumonia and ailments related to the cold weather, most of them younger than 5 years old (200 deaths) and over 60 years (158 deaths).

The emergency declaration, which has a duration of 60 days, covers districts in the regions of Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Junin, Lima, Moquegua, Pasco, Puno and Tacna, which in recent days reached a temperature of -24 C (-11 F).

A state of emergency was also declared in the jungle regions of Madre de Dios, Ucayali and Loreto.

The decree published Saturday also includes a series of measures that will allow regional and local governments to supply the affected populations with food and vaccines.

The armed forces were also called upon by Defense Minister Rafael Rey to carry out civic actions to help those populations most vulnerable to the cold.

Doctors say contributing factors to the deaths have been malnutrition, extreme poverty and poor living conditions.

This week Peru’s capital, Lima, has recorded its lowest temperatures in 46 years at 8 centigrade. In Peru’s hot and humid Amazon region, temperatures have also dropped to as low as 9 centigrade. So far this year, the jungle region has already recorded five cold spells.

Peru Government Declares Cold Wave Emergency