El Niño has begun to hit the Litoral region: the first evacuations have already taken place and there are restrictions on crossing into Brazil and Uruguay.

The El Niño weather phenomenon has begun impacting the Litoral region, resulting in initial evacuations and travel restrictions for crossing into Brazil and Uruguay. Specifically, the city of Concordia—identified as the poorest in the country—has been hit by rising floodwaters.

On Wednesday afternoon, high waters from the Uruguay River forced the rescue and evacuation of six families from their homes, compounding existing socioeconomic challenges in the area.