Spanish
Cuba's Civil Defense General Staff declared six of the 15 provinces in the "information phase" this Friday due to the threat of Tropical Storm Melissa, which, according to forecasts, will become a major hurricane next weekend.
In a note published on X, Civil Defense indicated that it based its decision on the warning from the Institute of Meteorology (Insmet) that in the last hours the circulation of Melissa is interacting with a trough, causing "the increase in humidity and instability" over the island.
The informative phase will govern from 2:00 PM local time (6:00 PM GMT) of this day for the eastern provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín, Las Tunas and Camagüey (center-east).
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Regarding this, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned on X that the chances of Melissa affecting the country in the coming days are "very high."
In addition, he mentioned that the provinces that could suffer its impacts "are taking measures" and considered it "important to anticipate every detail" to protect the population and "fulfill the plans".
The Civil Defense indicated that both its General Staff and the state institutes of Meteorology and Hydraulic Resources are maintaining "vigilance" over Melissa.
The Insmet predicts its "gradual strengthening, followed by a rapid intensification" and places the storm about 260 kilometers south-southeast of Kingston (Jamaica), with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour as it approaches Jamaica and the seas south of Cuba.
At the end of September, Tropical Storm Imelda hit the eastern region of the island with heavy rains, leaving two dead, several thousand displaced, floods, landslides, overflowing rivers, and collapsed homes, among other damages.
Cuban meteorologists have warned that in the current hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, in effect from June 1 to November 30, it will be "very active", with the possible formation of eight hurricanes.
Furthermore, they have indicated that the probability of at least one hurricane originating and intensifying in the Caribbean is high (75%), while it is 50% for one of Atlantic origin to enter the Caribbean Sea and affect the island.
In the 2024 hurricane season, two hurricanes heavily struck the island. The first was the aforementioned Oscar and then Rafael, category 3, punished western Cuba and caused the total collapse of the national electrical system.
