Wild Winter Weather Hits South America

[senorpepr]

BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - Winter storms have violently struck several South American countries in recent days, leading to eight weather-related deaths in Argentina and Chile, thousands of dead farm animals in Peru and record below freezing temperatures in southern Brazil.

In Argentina, where temperatures reached minus 11 degrees Celsius (12 degrees F) in Tierra del Fuego, in the extreme south, six people died over the weekend.

One construction worker died of hypothermia and an elderly man was found dead in a park. Two couples, in separate incidents, were killed by gas poisoning when they left their stoves on to heat up their homes.

Heavy snow and rain in southern Peru left 53 people homeless and damaged thousands of houses.
Peruvian authorities have dispatched 34 tons of shelter material to affected areas and medicine to treat children who live in high altitudes and suffer from pulmonary problems exacerbated by the poor weather. Helicopters have been dropping food and clothing in isolated villages of the Andean nation.

The weather has also killed more than 75,000 farm animals, including cows, sheep and llamas, the Peruvian Agriculture Ministry said.

In Chile, two people died Monday as rain and 70-kilometer (43-mile) an hour winds swept through the southern part of the country. Rescuers were put on alert to assist people who might lost their homes due to the weather.

A 44-year-old man died of hypothermia in the coastal town of Concepcion, where temperatures dropped to near freezing. A second man died electrocuted by street light cables.

Two weeks ago, winter weather claimed four lives in Chile, while floods damaged thousands of homes.
In southern Brazil, where people were still enjoying beach weather a week ago, winter weather slammed the region on Sunday with the coldest temperatures in a decade.

Temperatures reached minus 6.8 degrees Celsius (19.8 degrees F) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday, the lowest mark of the year, while the neighboring state of Santa Catarina was hit by the coldest temperature in 10 years, minus seven degrees (19.4 degrees F).

Paraguayan authorities sent children home from school as they brace for freezing temperatures forecast for this week, while in Uruguay shelters for the homeless have been set up.