The smoke that has blanketed Buenos Aires for the past week will continue through at least Wednesday, Servicio Meteorologico Nacional warned today. On Wednesday the wind patterns will provide a respite from the smoke choking the city, however the relief will be minor and short lived.

For city residents the negative health affects of living downwind from a 10,000-hectare grass fire are starting to take hold. Over 400 people have been admitted to hospitals for smoke related ailments, prompting the Ministry of Health to declare a yellow alert for hospitals, ophthalmologists and pediatricians. Authorities in La Plata have recommended people not leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.

UPDATE 4/21 03:45 : SMN is predicting that the winds will shift back to the south this morning, providing another smoky day in Capital. Slight clearing may occur by mid-afternoon. Residents are again warned to take precautions against the smoke.

Over 300 people have filed a $15 million lawsuit against farm owners, as well as the provincial and national governments for the damage caused by the fires and the smoke.

UPDATE 4/23 7:42 The dense cloud of smoke has returned to Buenos Aires, bringing with it a familiar smell and the expected round of transportation cuts. Visibility has dropped to 400m in the city and large sections of Rutas 9, 12 and 14 are all closed. Retiro bus station has stopped service to the northern part of Argentina as well as Brazil and Uruguay.

RELATED:
- No Respite From Smoke Until Wednesday
- State of Emergency: Highways to BsAs Closed
- BsAs Darkened By Smoke From Delta Grass Fires
UPDATE 4/18 17:42 The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) is stating that winds from the north will continue through next Tuesday, bringing a steady stream of smoke into Buenos [...]

Smoke clouded the Buenos Aires skyline this afternoon, the result of island grass fires in the Parana Delta. Strong winds are driving the smoke down river, creating severe visibility problems on the highways and enveloping the city in an acrid odor. The fires are located 30 minutes north of Buenos Aires and provincial governments are proving unable to extinguish them.

In recent years Buenos Aires, and indeed the rest of Argentina, has been experiencing a development boom. It has in fact been described by property developer John Boyle as the largest in the nation’s history.

But it is the regularity with which ambitious projects seem to be left unfinished that grabs the attention of so many. Dramatic empty buildings with no windows or doors and roads that stop in mid air… All can be seen in Argentina’s capital and all lead to one big question: How is this possible?

During the early hours of 8th February 2007, a fire ravaged Villa Cartón, a shantytown built under a motorway flyover in the neighbourhood of Villa Soldati, in the south of Buenos Aires. Nearly 400 families’ homes were destroyed, and 170 people were treated for asphyxia, minor cuts and light burns.

A year on, despite government pledges, little has been done to improve the living situation of the country’s most poor and vulnerable, and the housing deficit is bigger than ever.

It’s official, Carlos Pellegrini High School students REALLY don’t want to go to school. The Buenos Aires public high school recently received it’s 61st bomb threat…. this year.

Health inspectors had an unpleasant surprise this week when they paid a visit to French, a Buenos Aires pizzeria. Aside from the typical lack of hygiene found in most Buenos Aires fast food restaurants, the inspectors also found 2 dog bodies hidden in the restaurant freezer.

The Argentine government has begun taking emergency action to restock the nation’s shelves after a 3 week strike left stores empty.

Presidential daughter Florencia, affectionately referred to as Florkey, has been raising eyebrows with her salacious fotoblog. Interspersed with images from her mother’s inauguration and the goings on inside the Casa Rosada were photos of drunken nights out with friends, usually in poses that would make any unelected parent cringe.