Paraguay River level to drop further; “La Niña” phenomenon forecast

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Paraguayan Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) official also said that there is a 70% probability that the “La Niña” phenomenon will occur in the country, characterized by a rainfall deficit.

Rodas pointed out that rainfall is expected for September, but he stressed that accumulated precipitation will fall below average, as previously forecast. “The drought will continue and temperatures will be higher than usual for this quarter,” he said.

In this context, the meteorologist said that forecasts for the Paraguay River indicate that it will continue to drop during the quarter due to the lack of rainfall. He stated that the minimum level will reach -45 cm on September 20.

Both the Paraguay and Paraná rivers have seen their levels drop for several months, hindering their navigability. The former dawned today in Asunción at -0.18 m, while the latter registered 0.95 m at Ayolas.

The DMH official also pointed out that there is a 70% probability of a “La Niña” phenomenon of low rainfall from October through February 2022. “World meteorological institutes are reporting that there is a 70% chance of the “La Niña” phenomenon settling over the region again from October and it would persist until the end of our summer; that is, until February or March,” he said.

On the other hand, he reported strong storms over the weekend, with significant wind gusts, mainly in San Pedro, Concepción and the south of the country.

He said that the strongest winds were registered in the departments of Caaguazú and Concepción, with gusts of 80 km/h. Next came San Pedro, with gusts of over 70 km/h.

NO MORE SEVERE COLD THIS YEAR

The meteorologist said that a cold front with temperatures ranging between 13°C and 14°C is expected to develop between Wednesday afternoon and the early hours of Thursday morning, but no more severe cold will occur this year.