Restrictions on both sides of the falls

The Iguazú Falls straddle the border between Argentina and Brazil, and both national parks have restricted access as the river rose. A statement from the Argentine park administration and its concessionaire, Iguazú Argentina, said the Lower and Upper circuits would be restricted on Wednesday, 14 October, because forecasts pointed to flows above the levels considered safe for walkways and viewing platforms. Brazil's Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, in Foz do Iguaçu in Paraná state, has kept some areas open, while its concessionaire limited access to the walkway that reaches into the river toward the falls, one of the park's main attractions. The Argentine statement said:

While this special situation continues, access to trails and walkways leading to the falls will be suspended under the current safety protocol.

Both parks said closed areas will reopen as soon as hydrological conditions allow, and authorities on both sides will keep watching the flow.

Flow above 12,000 cubic metres per second

On Monday, 12 October, authorities closed the tourist sectors on the Argentine side after the river passed 12,000 cubic metres per second. EL PAÍS gave the usual average as 1,500 cubic metres per second and cited a 2014 record of 47,000, which places this week's peak well below that mark. The park reopened on Tuesday, 13 October, with restrictions. The Devil's Throat, the falls' main viewpoint, was still closed to the public for an indefinite period as of 13 October. EL PAÍS added that further preventive closures are not ruled out if rain in the upper basin continues. On the Brazilian side, the park never closed, according to the same outlet, but access to its main walkway was barred.

Railings and walkways on the Brazilian side

Brazil's park managers removed protective railings from a suspended walkway on Tuesday, 13 October, so that the water could pass without the river carrying them away. EL MUNDO reported that the Brazilian park published a video showing partial dismantling of one walkway, and a clip circulating on social media showed people removing railings while fast water ran below. Brazilian authorities said some parts of the park remain open to visitors, though access to the affected sectors will stay restricted until river conditions allow a safe visit. Two walkways appear in the coverage, one partly dismantled and one with railings removed, and the reports do not say whether they are the same structure.

Rain outlook and rising rivers

The Argentine park's statement cited El Niño-Southern Oscillation analysts who expect repeated intermittent flood surges on the region's main rivers during the seasonal rains, until the basins stabilise. DW reported a forecast of 13 million litres per second for Wednesday, 14 October, against a usual average of 1.5 million. The national weather service (SMN) warned that rainfall excesses start small but increase as the year advances, especially in the austral summer and autumn of 2027. Yacyretá's binational operator, which runs the hydroelectric plant on the Argentina-Paraguay border, reported that the Paraná River exceeded its historical averages by 37% in September and by 40% so far in October, as of Monday, 12 October. Meanwhile, the Uruguay River rose enough to force dozens of people from coastal areas of Concordia, Entre Ríos, and Paso de los Libres, Corrientes, according to municipal reports cited in the local press.

What comes next

Both parks tie their access rules to the river level, so closed areas are expected to reopen only when flows fall to safe levels. EL PAÍS reports that new preventive closures are not ruled out if rain in the upper basin continues. In August, the Argentine park closed that section of the circuit and lifted walkways as a precaution, in anticipation of a weather event similar to or even stronger than the earlier one. According to EL MUNDO, the El Niño events of 2023 and 2024 had destroyed walkways near the Devil's Throat, and NewsIT reports that Argentina closed its section of the park in those years because of floods.