The first bursts of Zonda wind in some locations of Mendoza this Saturday caused fallen trees, the roof of a school being blown off and power outages, in a phenomenon that until now was felt intensely in the south of the province. In the afternoon and evening, the presence of the wind began to be felt in the Greater Mendozaaccording to police and Civil Defense sources.
In the southern town of Malargüe The average wind was about 90 kilometers per hour and caused the roof of the shelter school 8-705 Carapacho, in the Agua Escondida district, to blow off with the students inside, but no victims were reported so far.
Víctor Andrade, director of Civil Defense of Malargüe, stated that «the situation is controlled and the students are going to remain in the dining room of the establishment that was not damaged, until the wind stops.»
In that sense, Civil Defense personnel from that town indicated that they were working on the different complaints about blown-off roofs and falling trees due to the wind.
High temperatures and wind in Greater Mendoza
The wind began to be felt in the Greater Mendoza after noon with medium intensity winds in some locations, such as Potrerillos, Uspallata, Luján de Cuyo, and earlier it affected Malargüe and San Rafael.
From 5 p.m., with a temperature of about 30 degrees, the wind was felt in the towns of Godoy Cruz, Maipú, Guaymallén and sectors of the capital citywithout causing major inconvenience.
Alert for Zonda wind this weekend in Mendoza
Mendoza’s Climatic Contingencies, in its extended forecast indicated for Saturday rise in temperature, snowfall in the mountain range, zone in the plain of moderate to strong intensity affecting the three cultivated oases, with a maximum of 30°C.while Sunday remains Zonda wind of moderate to strong intensity, with gusts of 60 to 80 km/h.
In recent days, the different organizations anticipated in their forecasts the arrival of the meteorological phenomenon for this weekend, and in some locations, with yellow and orange alerts, with average winds of 60 to 90 km/h and a maximum temperature of 30 degrees.
The City of Mendoza suspended activities
«The City, like almost the entire province, will be affected this Saturday and Sunday by strong gusts of Zonda wind., according to weather reports. To preserve the safety and integrity of residents and tourists, the municipality suspended the activities it had scheduled for those days, especially those that would take place outdoors,» the capital city reported.
What is the Zonda wind?
The Zonda is a strong wind, characterized by its extreme dryness and high temperature, it belongs to the group of winds that descend from the crest of high mountains to the valley or plain, the damage it causes is due to the atmospheric dryness it generates, the sudden rise in temperature and the destructive effects of its force.