"The full El Nino is now here. Today's El Comercio reports rains and electrical storms in Tumbes, Piura and Lambayeque with moderate to heavy flooding. It has started to rain in the western slope of the Andes. This has produce further increases in river flow, "huaycos" (mud slides) are destroying roads, bridges, some villages and agricultural areas. The effect of El Nino is also being felt in the inter-Andean valleys, specially in central Peru and on the eastern slope of the Andes. Here the road that starts in Lima going east to Oroya and Tarma, has practically disappeared below Tarma in the jungle area. There torrential rains (13 liters per square meter) lasted more than 14 hours. In certain parts of the eastern lowlands rivers have risen and caused flooding but the rains occurred elsewhere. A few days ago, electrical storms could be seen inland from Ca=F1ete and Chincha, towns on the coast about 100 miles south of Lima. This is most unusual as these storms normally occur above 4,000 m.a.s.l. Some dead sealions and birds have washed up on the seashore south of Lima. At Caman=E1, Dept of Arequipa in southern Peru, it is reported that for the third day the beaches are covered with dead sealions (100+), birds, and mollusks. This is attributed to high ocean temperatures. Also, the city of Arequipa, Cuzco and the altiplano (highlands) of the Dept. Puno, all in southern Peru have extremely high air temperatures sometimes above 30 degrees C., when normally it should be in the low 20's or below. In Lima, we had a small drizzle on Christmas and New Years Eve, in my lifetime this is the first time it has happened."--Manuel Plenge <MAPlenge@southernperu.com.pe>