This red alert is aimed at protecting the most vulnerable people, Secretary of the Presidency Alejandro Sanchez stated.

Authorities will proceed with the mandatory evacuation of people found outdoors and will apply the Minor Offenses Law to those who refuse to evacuate.

In such cases, the person will be taken to a police station, and the matter will then be referred to the judicial system. Sanchez said that of the 150 daily evacuations carried out last year, only five people resisted.

The National Institute of Meteorology’s (Inumet) warning of a “serious situation” prompted the government to issue the red alert decree early. Stronger storms are expected in the north and central parts of the country, along with “the arrival of a cold front from the southwest toward the northeast, associated with a cyclone,” Sanchez noted.

There is also a warning for a significant drop in temperatures. In the interior of the country, evacuation centers will be located in military units, while in Montevideo, the sports complex of the National Police Academy will once again house homeless people, as will the National Army’s Transportation and Maintenance Service, also in the capital.

Additional shelter capacity will be available in the departments of Canelones and Montevideo.

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