Afternoon of rain and thunderstorm is registered in Quito

Around 3:00 p.m. this Friday it began to rain in Quito with intensity and strong rays, especially in the north and in the Tumbaco valley. In some neighborhoods, the power of the electrical service became unstable, according to residents.

Until 3:50 p.m., the Integrated Security Service ECU-911 received eight calls due to water accumulation in the sectors of Guayllabamba, González Suárez, Tola Grande, Cumbayá and Tumbaco.

“Lightning strikes quite often and thunders loudly. The intensity of the electric light began to decrease, it seemed that the lights in the house were going to turn off, ”said Karen Esparza, who lives in the La Floresta neighborhood.

The climatic phenomenon in the capital is due to the varied intensity in the Callejón Interandino, which is accompanied by scattered electrical storms, reported the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (Inamhi).

The institution predicts that the rains will continue for the next few hours in the north and south of the Sierra region. The Inamhi explains that this situation is typical of the rainy season in the Sierra and Amazon regions. “It is recommended that the necessary precautions be taken against events adjacent to the rains, such as probable increases in river flows and landslides,” warns Inamhi.

Due to the strong electrical storm, several inhabitants of the Monjas sector were left without electricity service. Verónica Cevallos, a resident of the place, said that the lights in her house blinked for a few seconds until they turned off completely when she was working, so she also lost the internet connection.

The Quito Electric Company (EEQ) announced that due to atmospheric discharges there were disconnections in the 46 kV transmission lines, affecting the energy supply in the sectors surrounding the Olímpico, Nueva Cumbayá, Tumbaco, and New Airport substations. . The service could be normalized.

In addition, due to the rains there was traffic congestion in different parts of the city. On Simón Bolívar Avenue, in a north-south direction, there was a long line of vehicles stalled by traffic. At the height of La Conquistadores and Ninahualpa avenues, by the Community Police Unit (UPC) of the Guápulo sector, the fall of an enclosure was registered, which in turn caused the landslide and rocks.

In the preliminary report of the ECU-911 no victims are reported. The place is attended by the Quito Fire Department, the Metropolitan Transit Agency and the Metropolitan Mobility and Public Works Company (Epmmop). (I)