Cold Wave Sweeps South America, Prompting Alerts in Argentina and Peru

Argentina's National Meteorological Service issued yellow alerts for extreme cold and wind gusts up to 100 km/h across dozens of provinces, including the northeast, central, and Patagonian regions. The agency warned of health risks for vulnerable groups and advised the public to stay indoors, secure loose objects, avoid travel when possible, and keep homes safely heated.

In Peru, frost in high‑altitude provinces of Ayacucho caused severe damage to potato, corn and vegetable crops, with preliminary estimates of up to 60 % loss. Farmers and agrarian organisations demanded an immediate contingency plan, calling for agricultural inputs, technical assistance, sheltering structures and activation of crop insurance to protect livelihoods and food security.