Hundreds of homes have been damaged after very heavy rainfall in southern and central Chile. The rain continues and the authorities have declared a state of emergency in five regions, with a total of 14 million inhabitants.
The capital, Santiago, has so far been spared from the worst of the rainfall, but despite this, the weather service has recorded as much rain there as in a normal June month.
Large parts of the affected area have experienced severe drought for 15 years. The city of Curanilahue, 60 miles south of the capital, has been the worst hit by the rainfall, receiving more rain in a few hours than in the whole of 2023.
President Gabriel Boric, who is on a state visit to Sweden, warns that the heavy rain will continue. He also reports that one person has died after a lamp post was blown over.
