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STORY: On Friday (June 23), residents of the capital Santiago were surprised by a large mass of brown water flowing down the bed of the Mapocho river, the city's main waterway, which has risen substantially with the recent heavy rains.

The flooding around the Mapocho river has also cut off routes leading towards the Pacific Ocean, hitting families who live on its banks and leaving small towns isolated.

Two residents and a dog were rescued from strong river currents in central-southern Chile, footage shared by Chilean Carabineros police showed on Friday (June 23), as heavy rainfall in the region kick-started the winter season.

Governor of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Claudio Orrego, said "this is the worst weather front we’ve had in ten years.”

Authorities have declared a "red alert" and order preventive evacuations in various towns in the south of Santiago.