Rare snowfall in Atacama desert surprises residents of Chile

In a rare development, few parts of the Atacama desert in Chile, which is generally regarded as the driest place on earth, were under deep snow. Although it snows from time to time in the desert, snowfall this late in August is extremely rare.

People in the town of San Pedro de Atacama, about 750 miles from the capital, Santiago, were amazed by the spectacle.

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This is being considered as the heaviest rainfall in a period of three decades.

Also, it has raised fears the melting ice could cause flooding in the region.

While speaking withReuters, Northern Regional Meteorological Centre, Daniel Diaz, said, "This does not occur yearly. Maybe a relatively important snowfall like the one today can happen every two or three years. For this time of the year, late August, is something relatively unusual because this is usually seen in June and July."

Locals and motorists seized the opportunity to play with the snow and build snowmen.

"This is wonderful. I'm 30-years-old, and this is the first time I see snow," exclaimed a resident of El Salvador.