A powerful sand and dust storm swept through southern Peru on Thursday, triggered by strong winds linked to a South Pacific anticyclone, according to national authorities. The unexpected weather event caused major disruptions across coastal regions, particularly in the Ica region, located around 400 kilometres south of Lima.
Peru's national weather service reported wind gusts reaching up to 50 km/h in Ica, forcing traffic to stop on key highways and bringing tourism activities to a standstill for nearly three hours.
The storm's effects extended to the regions of Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna, where wind speeds reached 32 km/h. Even in Lima, similar conditions caused trees to fall in several neighbourhoods.
Videos of the storm's impact have since gone viral on social media, showing clouds of sand sweeping through cities and roads blanketed in dust.
Watch the videos here:
"This event was caused by the South Pacific anticyclone, which has intensified and is currently very close to the continent, generating high-speed downdrafts at the surface," Rosario Julca of the national weather service told Canal N television.
"An anticyclone is a clockwise circulation in the Pacific Ocean that, when it nears the continent, increases wind speeds," she added.
According to Julca, the presence of such "downdrafts, combined with the desert terrain, has generated a sudden and massive dust uprising."
The weather agency said the "increase in wind speed, ranging from moderate to strong intensity," is expected to continue along the Peruvian coast through Sunday.
The National Emergency Operations Center said that local authorities are assessing the damage.
(With inputs from AFP)
