Heavy rains pound city Sunday afternoon

Strong late-afternoon thunderstorms on Sunday disrupted traffic and knocked out power in several areas of the city. Hail was also reported at several locations.

Traffic disruptions were common on Sunday.

Areas hardest hit included Mall del Rio, the Cuenca-Azogues autopista, Plaza Las Americas shopping plaza, and Ricaurte. According to the city’s weather office, rainfall was widespread and included the city’s water shed in the Cajas Mountains.

Eléctrica Centrosur said power was temporarily lost in neighborhoods on the west and north sides of the city but was restored within an hour.

Officially, the Cuenca meteorological station reported 39.6 millimeters of rainfall, or about an inch and a half.

Ecuador’s meteorological service says that a warm air mass from the Amazon is responsible for recent rainfall throughout the country’s mountain region. They predict more thunderstorms through Wednesday.

Quito has also experienced strong thunderstorms over the last week.