A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.4 hit the Chile – Argentina border region at 01:50 UTC on July 19, 2024 (21:50 LT, July 18). The agency is reporting a depth of 126 km (78 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
On June 25, 2024, two avalanches cut off two small towns and a ski center in Maipo Province, Chile, leaving dozens isolated.
More than 2 000 homes have been damaged and one person killed after heavy rains wreaked havoc across south and central Chile over the past couple of days. Bio Bio region is among the worst affected.
Chile’s capital, Santiago, has been experiencing record-low temperatures for several days, with minimum temperatures around 0 °C (32 °F). This cold spell has made May 2024 the coldest May since 1950, according to the Chilean meteorological agency. In some coastal regions and parts of Santiago, temperatures have dipped below freezing, a rare occurrence for this time of year.
A rare snowfall blanketed several parts of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, causing widespread power outages and prompting local authorities to issue safety guidelines. The last time it snowed in Santiago was in 2020, although much later in the season.
The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex in Chile was placed under a Yellow alert at 20:00 UTC on April 26, 2024. This decision followed observations of increased ground deformation linked to an active inflation zone, located 6 km (3.7 miles) west-northeast of the 2011 eruption site. Monitoring data have shown the highest deformation rates since measurements began, reaching up to 2.4 cm (0.95 inches) per month.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit near the coast of Atacama, Chile at 01:31 UTC on February 14, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 22 km (13.7 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Intense wildfires in central Chile have resulted in at least 112 fatalities, hundreds missing and the destruction of thousands of homes as of early Monday, February 5, 2024. A state of emergency has been declared in response to the crisis, with fires continuing to spread through densely populated areas. Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Interior Minister Carolina Tohá highlighted the severity of the situation, noting the challenges posed by 92 active fires amid unusually high temperatures and the impact of the El Niño weather pattern.
Officials have issued a Red alert for extreme heat in Chile’s Santiago Metropolitan Region, with temperatures expected to remain high through at least February 2, 2024.
Wildfires continue to wreak havoc across central Chile, particularly in Valparaiso, O’Higgins, and Santiago, with over 2 800 ha (1 739 acres) affected and several communities evacuated.
