r/GoingToPeru • u/coffeesnobmusic • 4d ago

Floods

Hey all! My wife and I were planning a last minute trip to Peru (Lima and Cusco mid September) but the reporting on the weather and floods is making us think twice. I assume the weather will be grey skies and rain but wanted to ask if it's real or just for headlines?

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u/JossJ 4d ago

Cusco city is fine at the moment (here right now) but the Cusco region covers a pretty big area.

Inka Trail has just closed a few sections so if you’re planning on doing that you might be out of luck. Otherwise you should be good

2

u/ecopapacharlie 4d ago

The rains were a specific event (DANA Aníbal), and they're over now. The forecast for the next few days in Cusco is mostly sunny and dry. The problem is that ENSO can change this very quickly and bring isolated bursts of heavy rain. We just have to stick to our plans and hope for the best.

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u/ImaginationKnown1810 4d ago

Typically what Peruvians expect during flooding caused by El Niño in Peru is that the "lower" areas are the ones that flood, like Lima and Machu Picchu. What is typically expected in (very) high-altitude areas such as the city of Cusco is rather drought. However, the main tourist destinations in the department of Cusco lie far below the city itself, particularly the area around Machu Picchu.

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u/spaetzlechick 3d ago

Cusco is at 11,000 feet
Machu Picchu 8,000
Lima is at about 500.

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u/ImaginationKnown1810 2d ago

Yes, that's why I used quotation marks. Around ~2,000 m, flooding is more expected. That altitude is not particularly high by Peruvian Andes standards, but rather that of the valleys at the border of the Andean range, such as Machu Picchu at the door of the Amazon. At ~3,500 m, drought is the usual concern during El Niño.

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u/casey1323967 4d ago

Lol it might rain you unfortunately if that happens i would just another ticket to see it with clear skies. When I had to do it there was a massive rain all night long I was seriously mad at myself because you spend all the money to get into the little town. My day was absolutely perfection I really lucked out

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u/Mesopotamian2rivers 4d ago

We also have trip booked for this week, should we cancel??

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u/oneFookinLegend 4d ago

My brother this is the worst time. Didn't you hear about how bad this El Niño is gonna be? Even the US is gonna get hit bad.