Severe Frost Hits Peru's Highland Regions, Threatening Crops and Sparking Child Respiratory Illnesses

The National Weather Service (Senamhi) warned that intense frosts will affect six highland provinces of the Arequipa region between 19‑20 May, with temperatures dropping to 0 °C at elevations above 3,200 m and as low as –14 °C above 3,800 m. Strong winds of up to 45 km/h will increase the cold sensation, prompting authorities to advise residents to wear warm clothing, protect livestock, and seek medical help for any respiratory symptoms.

In the neighboring Junín region, actual frosts have already damaged extensive maize fields in Huamancaca Chico and threatened alfalfa and pasture needed for cattle. Farmers warn that the cold could ruin the upcoming harvest if it persists. The same conditions have led to a surge in acute respiratory infections among children under five, with 695 cases reported in the latest epidemiological week and five confirmed pertussis cases in infants. Health officials are urging vaccination against influenza, pneumococcus and pertussis, and are preparing the La Libertad health centre to serve as a contingency hospital.

Both the agricultural losses and the rise in respiratory illnesses underscore the broader impact of the extreme cold spell on Peru's highland communities.