Severe storms with hail swept through Buenos Aires suburbs, sparking weather alerts. Authorities warned of strong winds and flooding risk. The El Niño phenomenon is driving unusual July weather across Argentina.
Intense rainfall and hail battered several districts of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) early Friday, as the El Niño weather pattern continues to reshape Argentina’s climate. The National Meteorological Service (SMN) issued multiple alerts for heavy storms, strong wind gusts, and hail, affecting both southern and western suburbs. The city of Buenos Aires itself narrowly avoided the worst of the morning’s weather, but surrounding municipalities faced significant disruption.
Residents in areas such as Almirante Brown, Avellaneda, Berazategui, Brandsen, Cañuelas, Ensenada, Esteban Echeverria, Ezeiza, Florencio Varela, Ituzaingo, La Matanza, La Plata, Lanús, Lomas de Zamora, Marcos Paz, Merlo, Morón, Presidente Perón, Quilmes, and San Vicente reported hail and flooding. Social media was quickly filled with videos capturing the scale of the storm, highlighting the rapid movement of the weather front across the region. Earlier in the day, northern Buenos Aires province—including Exaltación de la Cruz, San Miguel del Monte, General Las Heras, General Rodríguez, Lobos, Luján, Marcos Paz, Mercedes, San Andrés de Giles, and San Antonio de Areco—also experienced severe thunderstorms.
The SMN’s forecast for Buenos Aires city indicated a 70% to 100% chance of rain during the morning, with possible thunderstorms and northern wind gusts reaching up to 50 km/h. Temperatures hovered around 18°C, with a slight increase expected in the afternoon as showers continued. By nightfall, skies were predicted to remain cloudy with temperatures near 19°C. The government of Buenos Aires City issued public warnings, urging residents to take precautions against hail and strong winds.
Authorities recommended staying indoors during storms, avoiding the use of electrical appliances and landline phones, and refraining from bathing or washing clothes while lightning is present. Those caught outside were advised to seek shelter in vehicles if possible, avoid standing under trees or metal structures, and, if necessary, crouch low with heads down and ears covered to minimize risk. The SMN also highlighted ongoing heatwaves in northern Argentina, wildfire risks in Córdoba, and heavy snowfall in the Andes, where snow accumulation has surpassed two meters in some areas.
Looking ahead to Sunday, when Argentina faces Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, the SMN does not expect rain in Buenos Aires, though cloudy skies and cooler temperatures between 10°C and 15°C are forecast through Thursday. The current weather instability is attributed to El Niño, which has altered atmospheric circulation across South America, increasing the frequency of low-pressure systems from the Pacific and channeling warm, humid air into the southern cone. This pattern has led to simultaneous extreme weather events in different regions of the country.
Argentina’s recent weather extremes echo broader climate disruptions seen across Latin America. For example, earlier this year, a major earthquake off the coast of Mexico and Guatemala prompted tsunami warnings and highlighted the region’s vulnerability to natural hazards. In Argentina, the combination of El Niño-driven storms, heatwaves, and snow events is testing local infrastructure and emergency response systems, underscoring the need for ongoing vigilance as weather patterns remain unpredictable.
El Niño is a recurring climate phenomenon characterized by the warming of surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. Its impacts are global, but in South America, it often brings heavier rainfall to the southern cone and drought to northern regions. For residents and authorities in Buenos Aires and beyond, the current episode is a reminder of the importance of preparedness and adaptation in the face of shifting climate risks.
