In Peru, at least six people have died in recent days due to heavy rain and flooding caused by a tropical storm.
The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency for several coastal regions in order to make it easier to provide emergency aid. Streets have been flooded and rivers have flooded in several places, local media write.
Such a state of emergency also applies to the region in which the capital Lima is located. A lot of rain is expected in Lima in the coming days. The Peruvian education minister has therefore postponed the start of the school year in the city.
Extremely rare
The storm, which was named Yaku, mainly caused damage in the north of the country. Neighboring Ecuador also reports record amounts of precipitation from Yaku. The Ecuadorian weather service describes the tropical storm as “extremely rare”. It is the first time in 40 years that the region has been hit by such a storm.
In the near future, Yaku will move south along the Peruvian coast. Meteorologists do not expect the tropical storm to develop into a hurricane because the water is colder in the south. The bad weather could last for more than a month, Defense Secretary Chavez said.
