El Niño prompts alerts and flood‑prevention actions across Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay and other Latin American nations

Military engineers began clearing drainage channels in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, to reduce flood risk ahead of the expected El Niño rains, with the defence ministry urging the public not to dump waste in waterways.

In Argentina, provincial authorities in Tucumán, Entre Ríos and Santiago del Estero are coordinating with municipalities and civil defence to clean rivers, reinforce levees and plan evacuations, especially along the Uruguay River and in the delta of the Paraná.

Ecuador’s national emergency committee raised its alert to orange for 17 provinces, allocating roughly $600 million for the national action plan, emergency reporting and infrastructure upgrades.

Honduras’ permanent contingency commission upgraded 75 municipalities to yellow alert for drought conditions and placed 113 under monitoring as El Niño reduces rainfall.

Colombia’s insurers warn that a strong El Niño could cause losses exceeding $10.7 billion, threatening hydroelectric power generation and agricultural output in the south.

Peru reported dead birds and a pod of dolphins moving southward off the Tacna coast, while other regions monitor rising temperatures and potential health risks.

The UN and climate agencies describe the developing event as a “Super El Niño,” with an 81 % chance of reaching unusually strong intensity by late 2026, potentially contributing to record‑high global temperatures in 2027‑2028.