Santiago declares red alert over thunderstorm and hail — The Rio Times

On October 13, 2026, Chile’s National Disaster Prevention and Response Service, Senapred, declared a red alert for the Santiago Metropolitan Region due to a thunderstorm, heavy rain and hail. The severe weather caused road flooding in several parts of the capital, power outages and restrictions to metro operations.

According to The Rio Times, as of 5:00 p.m. local time, around 36,000 customers remained without electricity. Reports cited figures ranging from 36,155 to 36,928 subscribers, while Diario Financiero later reported that more than 40,000 households were without power.

Flooding and metro restrictions

Hail covered the streets of Santiago, while flooding was recorded, in particular, in the communes of Providencia, Ñuñoa, Las Condes and La Reina. The areas with the highest number of power outages included Quilicura, Quinta Normal, Providencia, Lampa, Pudahuel, Peñalolén, Colina, La Reina and Estación Central.

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Metro de Santiago closed some station entrances due to the rain. Pedro de Valdivia station on Line 1 was closed because of water accumulation, while passengers were no longer allowed to enter at Salvador station. On Line 2, service was restricted on the Hospital El Pino–Franklin and Los Héroes–Vespucio Norte sections.

Warning for the country’s central region

Chile’s National Meteorological Service issued a warning of hazardous weather conditions for seven regions in the central part of the country. It concerned intense precipitation, unstable weather and thunderstorms throughout the evening.

The Sernageomin Geological Service assessed the risk of landslides and mudflows in the foothills of Santiago as moderate or high. Diario Financiero also reported that hail could threaten agricultural production in the region. At the time of publication, there were no reports of injuries or deaths.