Peru Government Declares Cold Wave Emergency in 16 Regions; 400 dead...

[LSU TIGERS]

Peru Government Declares Cold Wave Emergency in 16 Regions; 400 dead; temp drops to 11 below zero...

Link to article.

LIMA – The Peruvian government declared a state of emergency because of the cold wave gripping a number of districts in the nation’s 16 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.

[HoumaLA_WXguy]

I didn't even realize that it got that cold in Peru..

[kobayashi]

I didn't even realize that it got that cold in Peru..

What's interesting about Peru, in addition to being close to but south of the Equator [this is their Winter] - is that they have cities at high altitude and also that they have populations and territory at much lower altitudes in the Amazon basin. In the US our high altitude 'big city' is Denver at 4000, Boulder at 6000, and Estes Park [not a big city] at 8000 from memory. From memory the capital of Peru is at 8000 ft and it's not their highest city. I think whats disturbing Peru is the low temps they're getting at low altitudes in their "Tropical Jungle" Amazon River Basin.

I've also heard major 'really nasty winter' reports from Chile and the rest of South America.

[HoumaLA_WXguy]

That's crazy.. You learn something new every day. :)