A rare tornado tore through Puerto Varas, a city in southern Chile with a population of around 30,000, at approximately 15:30 local time on Sunday, May 25, 2025. The storm injured eight people, damaged around 250 homes, and left nearly 21,000 residents without electricity.
The tornado followed a southeastward track through the city center, damaging buildings, homes, and infrastructure across downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.
🇨🇱🌪️Un #Tornado irrumpe en el sur de #Chile: más de 250 viviendas dañadas y 8 personas heridas.
— netsysmX (@netsysmx1) May 26, 2025
El fenómeno, de categoría #EF_1, ha sacudido la ciudad de #PuertoVaras con vientos de hasta 187 km/h.
Las autoridades han activado la #alerta_roja y suspendido las clases.
Aunque… pic.twitter.com/owlvrgagFT
Chile’s Meteorological Agency estimated wind speeds between 138 and 178 km/h (86–111 mph), assigning the tornado a preliminary EF-1 rating. The Geoscientific Network of Chile confirmed the storm’s path through the heart of Puerto Varas.
Initial assessments from the Meteorological Agency described the damage as moderate. Roofs were torn off, windows shattered, vehicles and kiosks overturned, and some buildings had doors and exterior walls ripped away.
Shocking visuals from Puerto Varas, Chile, as a tornado tears through the area causing significant damage.
— Mr. Shaz (@Wh_So_Serious) May 25, 2025
Hoping everyone stays safe.#Tornado #PuertoVaras #Chile
pic.twitter.com/nKCSpVpCb9
Mayor Tomás Gárate confirmed the injuries and reported extensive damage to homes, vehicles, and businesses, including supermarkets. Paulina Muñoz, presidential delegate for the Los Lagos region, said trees and power lines were brought down, causing widespread outages.
🔴Último Minuto
— IEC-180 CONTROL STGO (@fdo2000) May 25, 2025
URGENTE
Reportan tornado en Puerto Varas hace unos momentos, autoridades activan Alarma Meteorologica por tornados y trombas marinas entre regiones Biobio a Los Lagos, se confirma Tornado en Puerto Varas @biobio @chile_accidente pic.twitter.com/wCNZ0EJq6g
Tornadoes are exceptionally rare in Chile due to the country’s unique geography. The high Andes Mountains to the east and the cold Pacific Ocean to the west usually limit the atmospheric instability required for tornado formation.
One of the few previous tornadoes in recent memory occurred in May 2019, when an EF-2 tornado hit Los Ángeles in the Biobío Region, followed by another the next day in Yumbel—both considered highly unusual events.
