Senamhi activates red alert for heat in Lima and Peruvian coast

The National Weather and Hydrology Service (Senamhi) has activated a new red alert due to an increase in daytime temperatures affecting Lima and a large part of the Peruvian coast. The agency, which is attached to the Ministerio del Ambiente (Minam), warned that the heatwave brings conditions of moderate to extreme intensity in coastal areas and moderate to strong intensity in the highlands, with temperatures potentially reaching 35 degrees Celsius in some regions.

The red alert spans 21 regions, including Amazonas, Áncash, Apurímac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Ica, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martín, Tacna and Tumbes. According to the state entity, the weather pattern features sparse cloud cover toward noon, which contributes to higher ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels. Authorities also noted expected wind gusts of around 40 km/h, mainly during the afternoon, alongside possible scattered showers on the northern coast.

Impact of El Niño and Regional Forecasts

These unusual conditions are associated with the presence of the Coastal Child Phenomenon along the coast. Estimates from the Multisectoral Commission in charge of the National Study of the Phenomenon “The Child” (Enfen) indicate that this event could extend until the autumn of 2027 or the first quarter of that year.

Forecasts for the northern coast show maximum temperatures ranging from 24 °C to 35 °C, while the central coast expects values between 23 °C and 29 °C, and the southern coast anticipates 21 °C to 24 °C. In the highlands, the northern sierra projects maximums between 22 °C and 33 °C, the central sierra anticipates values from 24 °C to 29 °C, and the southern sierra ranges between 18 °C and 29 °C.

Senamhi Predicts Intense Heat Along the Coast

This latest warning follows an earlier red alert issued by Senamhi from September 23 to 25, which marked the arrival of spring in Peru under intense heat. During that transition, Senamhi specialist Yury Escajadillo stated in declarations collected by RPP: We’re going to maintain these warm conditions along the entire coast. In Metropolitan Lima, for example, this means waking up to 18-19°C and reaching up to 30°C during the day. But by December, we could even reach 31-32°C..

Districts close to the littoral in Lima Metropolitana were forecasted to experience temperatures between 19 °C and 30 °C, while inland sectors further from the sea—such as La Molina, Ate, Santa Anita, and San Juan de Lurigancho—were projected to record values between 18 °C and 31 °C, with a probability of exceeding 32 °C toward the end of the year.

Ongoing Monitoring Through October

Additional forecasts detail day-to-day maximums across coastal and highland sectors during the active alerts. For Friday, October 2, official projections anticipated maximums of 24 °C to 35 °C on the northern coast, 23 °C to 29 °C on the central coast, and 22 °C to 28 °C on the southern coast, with the northern sierra reaching up to 32 °C. On Saturday, October 3, the northern coast could again reach 35 °C, while the central coast expected values between 24 °C and 29 °C, the southern coast between 22 °C and 28 °C, the central sierra up to 28 °C, and the southern sierra up to 26 °C. For Sunday, October 4, and Monday, October 5, forecasted ranges held steady at 24 °C to 35 °C for the northern coast, 23 °C to 29 °C for the central coast, 22 °C to 28 °C for the southern coast, up to 33 °C for the northern sierra, and up to 28 °C and 27 °C for the central and southern zones respectively.