Temperatures of minus four and minus three degrees Celsius occurred in several departments, while in Montevideo the minimum was four degrees with a lower wind chill.

The continued cold wave led to the highest level of assistance in shelter centers since the red alert for extreme winter conditions was activated and the sheltering of vulnerable people, including mandatory sheltering.

According to data from the National Emergency System (Sinae), 2,772 people were assisted during Sunday night, of which 2,178 turned to shelters managed by the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) and 594 were housed in evacuation centers.

Of this total, 1,393 people accessed shelters in Montevideo and 785 in the rest of the country.

Regarding evacuation centers, 509 were located in the capital and 85 in other departments.

Faced with the sustained growth in demand, the agency announced that a new evacuation center will be operational within the next 24 hours, according to Sinae.

Authorities also reported that 285 voluntary relocations coordinated by the police were carried out.

However, in Tacuarembó, there was one forced hospitalization, while in Montevideo, eight arrests were made for contempt of court during forced evacuation operations.

The cold wave will persist until Wednesday, according to the Uruguayan Meteorological Institute (Inumet).

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