Iguazú Falls closed as the river’s flow tops 12,000 cubic metres per second
Iguazú National Park, in Argentina’s Misiones province, closed access to the falls’ walkways on Monday because of an exceptional rise in the Iguazú River, whose flow exceeded 12,000 cubic metres per second. The flood is part of an episode of heavy rainfall linked to El Niño that has also caused the Uruguay River to burst its banks, with evacuations on both sides.
The Iguazú Falls in Argentina’s Misiones province closed access to its walkways on Monday due to an exceptionally high flow in the Iguazú River, exceeding 12,000 cubic meters per second. This flood is part of heavy rainfall linked to the El Niño phenomenon, which has also caused the Uruguay River to overflow, leading to evacuations on both sides.
The Argentine Naval Prefecture reported that the river rose by just over two meters between Sunday and Monday at Puerto Iguazú, reaching a level of 24.30 meters and still rising. The alert level is set at 25 meters, and the evacuation level at 28. The park authority and concessionaire halted ticket sales during the public holiday Monday and inspected trails and infrastructure, noting that some small trees had fallen.
Park authorities stated that they may be able to reopen the falls normally tomorrow. The flood had been forecast weeks in advance by the National Parks Administration.
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Also reported by 2 other outlets
- Iguazú Falls closed amid flood warnings linked to El Niño batimes.com.ar
- Iguazú Falls closed as the river’s flow tops 12,000 cubic metres per second en.mercopress.com
