Terrible night at AMBA: rain, wind, power cuts and almost 30 flights affected

A severe storm hit the Greater Buenos Aires area during the night of Friday, causing flooding, traffic chaos, power outages affecting more than 70,000 users, and nearly 30 flight cancellations or delays at Ezeiza and Aeroparque airports. The weather system extended its impact to northern Buenos Aires province, Santa Fe, Rosario, and Entre Ríos. The National Weather Service issued an orange-level warning for intense storms covering the city, the suburbs, much of Buenos Aires province, particularly the north, and all of Entre Ríos. The storm began with light rain on Friday morning, intensified around noon in some areas, and returned with force later in the afternoon. Intense rainfall was punctuated by brief periods of sunshine, with temperatures reaching 24.5 degrees Celsius around 6 p.m. By midnight, over 88.7 millimeters of rain had fallen in the capital, leading to flooding in parts of the financial district. Power outages affected thousands of residents, with data from distribution companies showing more than 70,000 users without electricity shortly after midnight. Edenor reported approximately 7,163 customers without service, while Edesur recorded 63,595. As the hours passed, the number of affected users dropped to under 30,000, with Edenor reporting 12,426 and Edesur 15,290 just before 6 a.m. Saturday. At Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, seven flights were canceled, four by Aerolíneas Argentinas, two by JetSmart, and one by Latam, with five others experiencing significant delays. At Ezeiza International Airport, 15 flights were delayed, and three were diverted to alternative airports. These measures were taken as a safety precaution due to electrical activity near both airports, resulting in the suspension of ground services. In addition to the weather-related disruptions, a police officer in La Matanza shot dead a criminal during an attack that occurred amid the heavy rain. The incident took place in the early hours of Saturday, highlighting the complex challenges faced by authorities during extreme weather conditions. According to the National Weather Service, the storm brought heavy rainfall and strong winds of up to 50 or 60 kilometers per hour, accompanied by thunder and lightning. While hailfall was not expected by Saturday morning, the electrical activity was expected to persist for several hours. For Saturday, temperatures are forecasted to range between 14 and 19 degrees Celsius, with isolated showers in the morning and partly cloudy skies with some sun in the afternoon. On Sunday, the sky will remain mostly cloudy, with minimum temperatures dropping to 10 degrees Celsius and maximums reaching 15 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. The orange-level storm warning covers areas from northern Entre Ríos and southeastern Santa Fe to Mar del Plata and Miramar, encompassing almost the entire Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires province. Rainfall accumulations are predicted to range between 60 and 100 millimeters, with localized areas possibly seeing higher amounts. An amber-level warning has been issued for other regions, though specific details have yet to be fully outlined. Residents and officials continue to monitor the situation as the storm's effects linger. Emergency services remain on high alert, prepared to respond to any further incidents caused by the ongoing weather conditions.