Heavy rains bring a little relief to drought-hit Argentina by Matt Taylor
Many parts of Argentina have been experiencing a very dry spell over the past 6 months, which is widely being regarded as the most severe drought in a century.
Some respite came over the weekend, as showers eventually arrived in the country, but they have come too late to reverse excessive damage to both crops and cattle due to the lack of rainfall.
The worst affected area is the Pampas region in east and central Argentina, which is also the most important agricultural region of the country. Argentina is one of world’s top exporters of wheat, soy, corn and beef, but this year, crop yields are down by 20 to 30 percent, and tens of thousands of cattle have died.
The average annual rainfall for the Pampas region is between 500mm (20in) and 1000mm (40in) per year, which makes it one of the driest parts of Argentina. However, this year, only around 200mm has fallen so far. The Andes provide shelter from the persistent westerly winds in central and east Argentina, and most of this rainfall falls in the summer months of October until March.
Further showers are expected this week, and forecasters are predicting a return to near normal rain patterns in October.
