The Atacama Desert in Chile, as dangerous as the driest hot desert in the world, has recently witnessed a rare phenomenon – snowfall.
Residents of San Pedro de Atacama said that the snow on the weekend was the heaviest in 30 years for the city in the desert, which is 750 miles north of the capital Santiago, according to Sky News.
Meanwhile, local authorities said they were concerned that the snow and rain that fell over the weekend could cause rivers to overflow.
The National Tourism Bureau added that the road to the city was temporarily blocked due to unusual weather.
Although officials expected heavy rains in the area, they did not order an evacuation.
At night the temperature can drop to -25 ° C in the Ollag area, and during the day it can reach 25-30 ° C in the shade.
The climate is so arid that even the mountains, which reach 6800 meters, are completely devoid of glaciers.
The desert is also known as the location of the world’s largest telescope – the Large Millimeter / Submillimeter Atacama Massif (ALMA).
Source: AFP