Unprecedented snowfall disrupts mining operations in the Atacama desert, the driest desert in the world

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Heavy rains and snow in Chile’s Antofagasta region, led the country’s emergency services to trigger its highest ‘red alert’ warning for the Atacama desert area on June 6, 2017. This is the worst snow storm since 1950 in the region.

Around 15,000 people have lost power and many copper mines had to close down. Chile is the largest copper producing nation in the world and most of its reserve are in the Atacama desert, the driest non-polar desert on earth.

Operations at some of the world’s largest copper mines, including Escondida and Codelco were disrupted due to heavy rains, snow and winds in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.

State-owned Chilean copper company Codelco has restarted operations at mines in Chuquicamata, Radomiro Tomic and Minister Hales after a rain storm caused a series of precautionary closures.

Other mines in the area, owned by Antofagasta, BHP Billiton, and Poland’s KGHM, also reported disruptions.

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Unprecedented snow disrupts mining acitivities in the Atacama desert in Chile

Antofagasta operations in Zaldívar were completely disrupted due to heavy snowfall.

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People playing in snow in the Atacama desert in June 2017.

BHP Billiton’s Escondida, the world’s biggest copper mine, said it was snowing and all operations had been suspended.

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BHP Billiton’s Escondida, the world’s biggest copper mine, is seen snow covered. via Reuters

Gabriela Mistral of Codelco operates with restrictions. Glencore Plc’s operations in the region, Lomas Bayas and Altonorte, were also affected by the weather.

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Red alert in the region of Atacama as the worst snow storm since 1950 engulfs the driest desert in the world. via Dirección Meteorológica de Chile

Another example that unprecedented weather anomalies can put our economy on standby.

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