Crews Search for US Tourist Who Went Missing in Dense Puerto Rico Jungle

In this Feb. 13, 2019 photo, project technician Robert Tunison, who spends between 30 minutes to an hour per leaf, collects plant physiology data inside the El Yunque tropical rainforest, in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. In this corner of northeast Puerto Rico, US scientists are trying to figure out how Earth might recover from extreme weather events amid increasingly warmer temperatures. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
In this Feb. 13, 2019 photo, project technician Robert Tunison, who spends between 30 minutes to an hour per leaf, collects plant physiology data inside the El Yunque tropical rainforest, in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. In this corner of northeast Puerto Rico, US scientists are trying to figure out how Earth might recover from extreme weather events amid increasingly warmer temperatures. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
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Crews Search for US Tourist Who Went Missing in Dense Puerto Rico Jungle

In this Feb. 13, 2019 photo, project technician Robert Tunison, who spends between 30 minutes to an hour per leaf, collects plant physiology data inside the El Yunque tropical rainforest, in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. In this corner of northeast Puerto Rico, US scientists are trying to figure out how Earth might recover from extreme weather events amid increasingly warmer temperatures. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
In this Feb. 13, 2019 photo, project technician Robert Tunison, who spends between 30 minutes to an hour per leaf, collects plant physiology data inside the El Yunque tropical rainforest, in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. In this corner of northeast Puerto Rico, US scientists are trying to figure out how Earth might recover from extreme weather events amid increasingly warmer temperatures. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Authorities in Puerto Rico are searching for a US tourist they say got lost in the dense tropical rain forest of El Yunque in the US territory's east.

Police said in a statement that Abdur Rahman, 64, was hiking with a group when he became separated from them on Sunday, The AP reported.

Crews resumed their search on Monday for Rahman, who police said lives in Wisconsin.

El Yunque is a popular tourist spot and the only tropical rain forest overseen by the US Forest Service.

Last year, a US tourist died after authorities said he fell off a cliff after leaving a designated hiking area.



Record Cold Grips Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region. SEBASTIAN LOSADA / AFP
The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region. SEBASTIAN LOSADA / AFP
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Record Cold Grips Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region. SEBASTIAN LOSADA / AFP
The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region. SEBASTIAN LOSADA / AFP

A polar air mass has brought record low temperatures to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, causing at least 15 deaths and forcing governments to restrict gas supplies and activate emergency shelters.

The three South American countries have all recorded sharply below-zero temperatures as the polar air originated from Antarctica and swept across the region, said AFP.

In Argentina, at least nine homeless people have died from the cold this winter, according to NGO Proyecto 7.

The capital Buenos Aires recorded its lowest temperature since 1991 at -1.9 degrees Celcius (28.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, while the coastal city of Miramar saw snow for the first time in 34 years. Further south, the town of Maquinchao recorded -18C on Tuesday.

Electricity demand caused cuts across Buenos Aires, leaving thousands without power for over 24 hours in some areas.

The government suspended gas supplies to industries and petrol stations Wednesday to ensure household supplies, and removed price controls on gas cylinders Thursday.

Desert snow

Uruguay declared a nationwide "red alert" after six people died, allowing President Yamandu Orsi's government to forcibly move homeless people to shelters.

Montevideo recorded its lowest maximum temperature since 1967 at 5.8C on June 30, according to meteorologist Mario Bidegain.

Chile also activated homeless shelter plans during the coldest days. The city of Chillan, 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Santiago, hit -9.3C, according to the Chilean Meteorological Directorate.

"What happened this week in Chile and the Southern Cone in general is a cold wave caused by an escape of a polar air mass from Antarctica," climatologist Raul Cordero from the University of Santiago told AFP.

Snow even fell in parts of the Atacama Desert, the world's driest, for the first time in a decade.

"It is not so common for these cold air masses to extend so far north, so we cannot rule out that this is also caused by climate change," meteorologist Arnaldo Zuniga told AFP.

The region expects relief in the coming days, with Buenos Aires reaching 12C on Thursday, Montevideo 14C and Santiago 24.7C.

"I was quite surprised by the change from cold to hot -- the change was very drastic," student Dafne Naranjo, 18, said in Santiago.

Climatologist Cordero said heatwaves have become more frequent than cold spells in recent years.

"The frequency of heatwaves has tripled, whether in summer or winter, not only in the Southern Cone but throughout the world," he said.