First published Oct 14, 2026, 7:25:15 AM UTC · Last updated Oct 14, 2026, 7:25:15 AM UTC

A tornado and an unusual spring hailstorm overwhelm Santiago, Chile

An electrical storm with hail flooded streets, homes and businesses in Santiago and produced a tornado preliminarily classified as EF0. Chile’s disaster prevention and response service declared a red alert in the Metropolitan Region.

Illustrative image: The extreme 5000-metre altitude of the Chajnantor plateau in Chile, provides some pretty stunning weather effects. The dry air is perfect for the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA). — ESO/ Y. Beletsky/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Why it matters

The storm caused urban flooding and a tornado, prompting a red alert for the region.

Location

Categories: severe-weather-and-natural-disasters

Generated scores

Scores are based on the cited reporting and use a 1–10 scale. Read the methodology.

Confidence: 6/10How certain the assessment is based on the clarity and evidence in the cited reporting.
Geographic reach: 3/10How widely the event reaches, from a local area (1) to worldwide impact (10).
Global importance: 3/10The event's broader significance, from limited importance (1) to major global importance (10).
Impact magnitude: 4/10The scale or severity of the real-world impact, from minor (1) to extreme (10).
Positivity: 2/10How harmful or beneficial the event is, from strongly harmful (1) to strongly positive (10).
Urgency: 5/10How time-sensitive the event is, from low urgency (1) to immediate attention needed (10).

Primary official sources

MercoPress UK A tornado and an unusual spring hailstorm overwhelm Santiago, Chile

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